Glimpses of Fire
by shattered-words
Summary: There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. [AU, Linked to 'Caught In The Rain'] COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: Many Years Ago

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri _(Linked to 'Caught In The Rain')_

**A/N: **This is centered around my OC and Gaara, I know it doesn't look like it but trust me on this. Things will become clear later. Just read on if you wish to find out. o,o

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Prologue: Many Years Ago**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Her figure moved as swiftly as she could bear and tried to keep herself hidden by the unrelenting shadows. She paused just inches from crossing around the heavily guarded waterfall through a storm drain used for the water that might flood the village situated behind her. She had already stopped several times as she had made her way as quietly as possible, and she placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a racking cough as someone walked overhead. Since night had fallen there had been few people out and it had been easy for her to slip into the drain, and she only had to be wary of the guards on night duty.

There was a reason she had chosen this night and it involved a certain Chunin that was on duty now. He was the only one she had trusted with her plans to escape the village. He hadn't really taken her seriously but had still offered to help her, which she had refused. It was certain that he'd be one of the first to be suspected with aiding her and so she hadn't told him which night she planned to leave. She had also made sure to destroy every piece of evidence that would link him with her disappearance, but she had to get out first for her efforts to pay off.

When he moved on she continued on as well and made sure to time her steps with his. She wasn't sure he'd stop her if he caught her, and had to be cautious. So, she made sure to make as little noise as possible. She _had_ to leave.

They had done something to her when she had been born. To make her strong for the village, but they hadn't counted on her sickly nature. Her body made her weak and she became a liability and they tried to get rid of her. She still remembered the blade as it pierced her chest and the gut wrenching pain that followed. The front of her clothes had soaked up the blood that flowed freely from the wound. She had stumbled from the room as she tried to get out but she had fallen and darkness had taken her, but she hadn't died.

A figure appeared before her after she had managed to get past the waterfall and start down a hidden trail she had found when she had gone on a mission with her team. She immediately fell into a defensive stance and withdrew a kunai. She was ready to fight her way past the ninja if she had to.

"Kiyo-chan," she heard the male speak. At once, she knew that it was Fujikaru and relaxed only slightly. His tone of voice had been sad when he had called out to her. "You really do plan to go through with it." He stepped out of the tree's shadow and his stern yet handsome features were revealed.

Kiyomizu had always thought Fuji to be a serious individual, but he had also proven to be loyal. The Chunin had always placed his duty to his village above his personal relationships and feelings. Even so, he had been unable to resist caring for the younger girl and he had come to view her as a sister. She had substituted for the family he had lost over the years to duty and battles.

"Gomen, Fuji-kun," she replied, bowing her head. He had also become like a brother to her, since she had been shunned by her own family because of her weakness. However, she wouldn't allow anyone to stop her, not even him. "I'm going."

The bandana his hitai-ate was attached to covered his wavy russet hair but it could be seen peeking out at the edges. He stuffed his hands into his black pants and he looked almost uncomfortable in his Taki Chunin vest. His black eyes met her brown ones over the small distance that separated them.

"I know," he finally responded with a sigh. He didn't wish to see her go but even he knew that her only hope for survival was for her to leave the village. After a moment, he pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to her. "You will always be my little sister." He walked past her and back toward the village. "Don't look back. Ki o ts'kete. Sayonara." He vanished in a puff of smoke.

She frowned slightly and opened the small black, velvet box and stared in shock at the ring nestled within. It was silver and glowed with the moonlight and it had the Morisue Clan emblem. Kiyo knew that this was a symbol that you were officially considered a part of the Morisue family, which not only had wealth but was spread out along several different hidden villages. Not to mention the many people that were in one way associated with them in low and high class status.

She quickly slipped it on and tucked the box away, and moved further away from the only place she had ever known as home. Kiyomizu didn't know where she was going but Fujikaru had already helped her in a big way by accepting her as a member of his family. "Kochira koso," she whispered. "Sayonara, Aniki." Then she was gone as she disappeared into the ever darkening night.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The young girl looked around the room and gave a sigh. After almost three months, she could finally breathe easily. She had learned right away that her village wasn't about to lose their "fabricated soldier" that easily, even if she was too weak to use properly. She'd most likely been dubbed a nukenin, and it had been a miracle that she had managed to avoid the Oinin that had been sent after her. On more than one occasion it had been the ring that had saved her.

Kiyomizu or Morisue Kiyomizu now, moved to the window. She opened it and leaned out as she let her gaze sweep over the village she would now call home. It was as far away as she had been able to go and while there had been other places she could have gone, this had been the best choice. The heat would help her health tremendously for one, and the Morisue Clan had several cousins within this village.

It hadn't been decided yet which family she would stay with since both the Itagaki and Erizawa Clan were related to the Morisue. For now Kiyo was alternating between the two homes, and she was currently staying with the Itagaki after having been with the Erizawa family the previous week. It was hard to move from one place to another so much, but she could handle it. Certainly it was better than what she had gone through at Takigakure.

She was hit with a blast of hot air as she sighed in relief, and she could already feel her strength improving in the week and a half that she had been here. It helped a lot since soon she would attend the Academy because she had just turned 12 years old. They wanted to gauge her skills and if they were adequate she'd be allowed to become a Genin. Kiyo had confidence that she could make it since she had become one in Waterfall village. She had barely made it, but that had been because the wet climate had drastically drained her chakra.

A grin spread over her pale features which were starting to take on a healthier color, and turned when there was a knock. "Come in," she practically sing songed. The fusuma door was slid open and she saw that it was Katsuhiko, the eldest son in the Itagaki household.

He lifted a slender brow at his "cousins" cheerful expression. "You seem to be in a good moon," he said as a slight smirk lifted the corners of his lips. The strands of his short dark brown hair fell over his ebony orbs as they met hers. They were so much like Fujikaru's that she winced as if in pain. "What's wrong?" He noticed as she faltered.

She sighed and leaned against the wall and turned her gaze slightly so the warm wind caressed her features. "I miss Fuji-nii-san," she muttered as a blush spread over her features. Her somber expression lightened as she looked at him. "You look a lot like him, Katsuhiko-san."

The taller teen let the smirk widen as he waved his hand dismissively. "Come now, I'm sure that I'm better looking than that sour puss," he said as he chuckled. She had come to learn that the distant cousins got along rather well but were also known to fight like cats and dogs. Ever since she had gotten here, she had pestered the younger cousins on anything on her surrogate brother that she could use as blackmail later on. Not that she needed it since she had Fujikaru wrapped around her little finger.

"Oh Heaven's yes." She nodded seriously. "Especially when you go like this," she replied as she pursed her lips like a fish and made sucking noises. She got along good with Katsu and the younger twins. The only problem was that they always wanted piggy back rides at the same time.

At first she had been too weak to give even one of them a piggy back ride, but now that she was getting better she could almost keep up with them. She was grateful that she had Katsuhiko there to placate them whenever she couldn't. They were certainly bundles of energy.

He laughed again and shook his head, and came to stand besides her at the window. "Ogenki dess-ka?" he asked her. She had only told Katsu's father and the head of the Erizawa family the truth about why she had fled Takigakure. They had introduced her as their cousin and told the children that she had come here because of her health, which was the vague truth. She really hated to lie, especially to Katsuhiko whom she had already become friends with, but perhaps one day she'd feel confident enough to tell him the truth.

"I'm fine," she said and knew it to be true. Kaze no Kuni was mostly desert and was pretty hot, and it did her lungs good. She hadn't had a coughing fit in a long time now, but she still had to be careful since the nights were rather cold. During those times, she made sure that she was bundled well and had the room heater on. Even during the day she was well bundled up but it wasn't uncomfortable no matter how hot the day was.

"That's good to hear," he muttered and stared outside a while longer. Kiyo could tell that he wanted to say something to her because he had come in here for a reason. She let him take his time, but was curious as to what made him reluctant to speak since he had always been open about what he wanted to say.

The older boy turned toward her and stuffed his hands into his pockets and she actually saw a blush spread over his face. She was about to ask to save him the embarrassment of broaching the subject, but he seemed to gain some courage. "Here, this is for you." He thrust something in her hands and then quickly turned away again. As he made his way out of the room she thought she heard him muttering something about strangling someone.

Kiyo blinked and looked at the small package he had given her. It was wrapped in light blue washi, and she carefully removed the ribbon and opened it. There was a handmade necklace inside and a note. She let the trinket dangle from her fingers and the red stone at the end caught the light and winked at her. Now she unfolded the note and read it over.

'_For a very beautiful girl.  
-Ashikaga Ritsuko.'_

A brow lifted at the name and wondered who that was. Then she remembered that he was Katsuhiko's friend. She had thought him strange since during their first meeting he had uttered something stupid and then could only stutter an apology before leaving the room. Glancing at the necklace and the smooth crimson stone, she let a smile curve her lips and proceeded to slip it on.

She laughed when she realized that it was Ritsuko he had been muttering about strangling. Kiyo wondered how long the Ashikaga boy had begged Katsuhiko to give her the box, since it was obvious that he was rather shy around her. It was the first time she had been given something like this since the boys in Taki had all avoided her as instructed by their parents. She sighed and hoped that it would be different in Sunagakure no Sato.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The next four years passed in a blur of missions and training, and she was as healthy as she had ever been. In that time she had gotten to know the strange Ashikaga Ritsuko and realized that he was as she had suspected, strange. During their early meetings, they had been awkward for a lot of reasons but they had gradually started to enjoy being with each other. If they weren't on a mission then they were hanging with Katsuhiko and other friends. Sometimes they were alone and they could find something to talk about for hours, or merely sit in silence and enjoy one another's company.

He had finally worked up the courage to ask her to go out with him, and she had simply replied, "I thought we were already going out." They had laughed and then shared their first kiss. That had been almost two years ago and since then if they weren't on a mission then they were together. However, these last few weeks she had sensed that Ritsuko was hiding something from her.

She confronted her cousin and demanded to know if he was cheating on her. When he finally spoke, she was shocked. It wasn't what she had been expecting.

"What do you mean?" she asked the taller ninja. He wouldn't even look her in the eye as he repeated what he had told her. She turned away and clenched her hands into fists as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Arranged marriage," she whispered. Her hand found the necklace that had hung from her neck since the day he had given it to her. Now she tore it away and let it drop to the tatami mats she stood on. She left Katsuhiko where he stood as she fled the house.

"Kiyo-kun," he called out to her, but she wasn't listening anymore. She ran as hard as she could until she had reached the outskirts of the village. Falling onto her knees she tried to slow her racing pulse. The moon's light flowed around her and glinted off the sand hitai-ate that was secured at her right thigh.

The newly appointed Chunin kunoichi took in deep breaths and tried not to cry. She was seized by a coughing fit which she hadn't had in months, but the night was cold and she hadn't remembered to bring her coat in her haste to leave the house. Her hand covered her mouth and when it stopped, she let herself fall onto her back.

"Damn coward!" she yelled to the darkened heavens. He hadn't told her and the fact that she had to get it out of Katsuhiko made it hurt even more. Her cousin had always been the middle man in their relationship since Itagaki-san didn't approve of her going out with the Ritsuko, and now she knew why. It had been because the Ashikaga family had set up the marriage between him and Arato Etsuko.

She sat up as she was seized with another coughing fit and she heard footsteps behind her but she didn't bother to turn around. Kiyo knew who it was since he was the only one that made noise on purpose at times. "What do you want?" she muttered, wiping absently at a stray tear.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. He had moved closer but had stopped just behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that he was holding the necklace for her to take. She didn't want to even look at it much less take it, but she swallowed the bitterness that was threatening to consume her and took it. The trinket meant a lot to her.

"Save your breath," she snapped without meaning to. She heard him falter but then felt something fall over her shoulders and saw that it was her jacket. For a moment she wondered if he had actually went to her house to get it, but knew that he wouldn't. More than likely it had been Katsuhiko that had given it to him.

He sat next to her and was quiet for a long time. His shoulder length black hair flowed around him and caught the moon's light so it sparkled like star light in the darkness. As the wind picked up, the ends danced around him and the bangs fell over his grey eyes. He had bent his legs and folded his arms over his knees as he rested his chin on them.

She could tell that he wanted to say something to her but was having trouble getting it out. When she was seized with another coughing fit, he seemed to snap out of it and spoke at last. "It was set up before I was born. I don't have a choice," he muttered as he ran a hand through his straight, silky hair.

Kiyo gripped the jacket around her and bowed her head. "That's a lie," she muttered. She stood to her full height of five feet and two inches as she peered down at him with a frown. "You made your choice and it's obvious what it was." She hastily stuffed the necklace into the jacket's pocket and turned away as she stifled another cough. "Goodbye, Ashikaga-san." The Morisue female walked off as she headed back to her house, and refused to look back.

She didn't speak to Katsuhiko when she got home and only closed herself off in her room. Tonight all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry herself to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The child tilted her head to the side as she heard something calling out to her. She glanced around the room she was sitting in with wide black eyes and the motion ruffled her short black hair. Her tiny hands came to rest on the floor as she lifted her bottom off the floor until she had come to stop on her hands and knees.

She proceeded to crawl across the tatami mats until she entered the other room. The whispering within the confines of her mind was drawing her toward the irori that was burning even now since it was fall and the days were starting to be as cold as the nights.

While she crawled, she was cooing happily and continued to move over the now wooden floor. Closer and closer she came. Stopping, her dark orbs lifted and she squealed gleefully and started forward once again. She had almost reached the hearth when two hands took hold of her small body and lifted her out of harms' way. The baby girl immediately started to wail at having been kept from her objective.

The woman that had lifted her started to comfort her and quiet her crying. She patted the ten month old on the back and held her as tightly. "Oh Kami, don't listen to it, kudasai," she whispered fiercely.

A small head poked around the corner with a curious expression. The boy had his father's straight black hair but his mother's black eyes, and he looked no older than nine years old. He was wearing shorts and a long sleeved shirt, but was missing his sandals and was only in his socks.

"You were supposed to be watching your sister, Eizan-kun," she chastised. Her dark brown bangs fell over matching eyes that were currently narrowed in annoyance. She was out of her Jonin attire and was sporting a long flowing flowered skirt and light blue blouse.

Eizan returned the gesture defiantly and shook his head so the dark strands flipped around him. "She's not my sister," he answered stubbornly. "And you're not my Okaa-san!" He disappeared into the other room once more and she knew he would plop down in front of that blasted television her husband had gotten from a nearby town.

Kiyomizu sighed wearily as she rocked her musume and moved down the hall to put her down for a nap. "Time for your nap, Arisa-chan," she cooed. As if in response, she gave a yawn as her eyes became half lidded.

Laying her in the crib, she gave her the bottle and started to hum a lullaby. In no time at all she had fallen asleep, and Kiyo watched as she rested her head on her arms which she folded and rested on the railing. She wore a sad expression as she sighed once more.

"I'm sorry, chibi," she mumbled. "I never meant to give it to you." Kiyo ran a hand across her face as she felt her fatigue settle over her body. Over the last ten months since she'd given birth, she had started to become as sick as she had been in Taki and even now she stifled a cough. Her failing health indicated that she wouldn't survive a second child birth, and she resigned herself grudgingly.

She had slumped more against the crib when she heard someone from the doorway. "Are you okay?" asked a familiar voice. Turning, she was surprised to see Katsuhiko standing there and knew that Eizan had probably let him in.

A smile spread over her sickly pale features. "Katsu-kun," she whispered as she staggered toward him. Before she realized what happened, the taller shinobi had caught her falling body and was now lifting her up.

Itagaki Katsuhiko was stunned at how little his cousin weighed as he lifted her bridal style. He frowned as he moved out into the hall toward her bedroom. At that moment, Eizan came around the corner and froze.

The boy had stopped when he saw his father's new wife in his uncle Katsu's arms, and he felt a chill as he remembered his mother. She had been carried in the same way after she had been injured in her mission and the last he saw of her was her pale, bloodied face. "What's wrong?" he asked as his voice shook. Her face looked so pale and like his beloved Okaa-san. "Is she okay?"

The suna-nin frowned and wished the young Academy student hadn't caught sight of them. It hadn't even been two years since his mother had died and this certainly wouldn't help. "Hai," he hastened to reassure him. He walked past him and into the room where he laid her on the bed. "Kiyo-kun is just tired."

He walked to him and placed a hand on his head as he kneeled so he was at eye level with him. "I'm going to take care of her. Do you think you can keep an eye on Arisa-chan?" When he only glanced at the kunoichi's still figure, Katsuhiko squeezed his shoulder to reassure him.

The shorter of the two nodded and moved out of the room when the sand shinobi urged him with a firm hand. When he had left, Katsu flicked on the radio he still had on from his recent mission. He made a series of pulses go through in a distinctive pattern.

"_**Go ahead,"**_ a familiar voice responded in his ear piece after several seconds.

"You need to get home," he said as quiet as possible so Eizan wouldn't hear. "Your ok'san needs you."

There was silence for several seconds. _**"How is she?"**_ he finally asked and Katsu could hear the worry underlying his tone.

Katsuhiko sighed and ran his hand through his longish dark brown hair. "Yokunai," he responded.

"_**I'll be there soon,"**_ he spoke and then it cut off.

Five minutes later and he had gotten a basin of cold water and a compress as he sat besides her. A frown twisted his face as his fingers brushed over her skin. "Atsui," he muttered under his breath. He leaned his forehead against the bed next to her hand. "Dosh'te? You knew this would happen, so why?"

A hand came to rest on his head as he stiffened and when he lifted his head it was to meet Kiyo's softened gaze. "Because I wanted her," she whispered as the familiar spark ignited in her weary eyes. "She's beautiful, my Arisa-chan."

The brown haired male watched a frown twist her features. "Onegai, Katsu-kun, don't leave her alone," she said with a note of desperation in her voice. "Don't let it consume her."

The Itagaki was confused by her words. "Nani? I don't understand what you mean, Kiyo-kun." He stopped as he heard the door open behind him and turned to see Kiyo's husband rushed in followed by a medic-nin. When he turned back around, he saw that she had passed out once again.

"How's she doing?" his cousin-in-law asked breathlessly as he gasped in air. Katsu stood and intercepted him before he could get to the bed. The medic-nin meanwhile started to check her over as the slightly shorter man led the kunoichi's husband outside.

"She's sleeping now," he paused with a sigh. "She doesn't look good." It was hard for him to say this and while he wasn't a medical ninja, he had known the birth would take a heavy toll on her health.

The look on his face almost made Katsu curse but before he could say anything, they turned as the door opened and the medic stepped out. "How is she?" the brown haired man immediately asked.

The man, who was slightly older than the two of them, sighed and closed his bag. "She's resting but is very weak," he said quietly. He glanced at the door. "Her health is failing and it's unclear how long she has left to live. She could have five years, five months, or five days." He pursed his lips and shook his head. "I'm sorry but only her will can determine how much longer she lives."

Katsuhiko saw the man to the door and left the couple to themselves for several minutes. Inside, the dark haired man sat in the chair his best friend had abandoned and lifted his wife's frail hand between his larger ones. "I'm here, Kiyo," he whispered.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Ashikaga Ritsuko awoke with a gasp and felt his entire body slicked with cold sweat. He sat up and shivered as he listened for several seconds but all he heard was the steady ticking of the clock hanging from the wall in the darkened living room.

A sigh left his lips as he ran a hand through his shoulder length black hair that had stuck to the sides of his face and neck. Pulling it into a messy ponytail, he stood and made his way to the kitchen.

The irori was still burning in the middle of the room and provided warmth from the biting wind outside. Fall had come and went and winter had been a nonsensical blur to which he had barely paid attention to. Kiyo had held on longer than they had estimated and a year had come and gone. However, she hadn't awoken since that night Katsu had called him after he had reported to the Kazekage on his last mission.

He was sad that his wife had not been able to see Arisa's first steps or hear her first words, but he had sat by her bedside with the child in his lap and spoke to her. She was still too young to understand and so Ritsu had merely told her that her mother was only sleeping.

It was a relief that Eizan had started to cooperate and would take care of his sister when he was forced to go on a mission, and Katsuhiko wasn't available. He hated leaving them alone but the boy was old enough to be able to take care of the house since he had been in the Academy four years now.

Ritsuko paused as he brought the glass of water to his lips and lowered it to rest on the counter. A shudder passed through him as he gasped and bolted down the hall toward that use to be Kiyo and his room as the glass shattered behind him. He slammed the door open and froze just inside the doorway.

He could see her figure sitting up in the bed and her head was turned toward him. He tried to speak, but his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. A beam of moon light cut through the room and lit up her familiar features, and he could see the gentle smile soften her lips. "I dreamt of you, Ritsu," she whispered.

He collapsed and fell to his knees as tears streamed down his face. His whole body shook with sobs as he thanked every deity he could think of. Kiyomizu merely watched with a smile on her lips.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:**  
1. **Gomen:** I'm sorry.  
2. **Ki o ts'kete:** Take care.  
3. **Sayonara:** goodbye.  
4. **Kochira koso:** The same to you.  
5. **Aniki:** big brother.  
6. **Oinin:** literally _'chasing ninja'_ or hunter-nin; they hunt and kill missing nin, and disposing of their remains to keep the villages jutsu out of enemy hands.  
7. **nukenin: **missing nin or rouge ninja that have betrayed or abandoned their villages  
8. **Takigakure: **literally _'hidden within the waterfall'  
_9. **fusuma: **sliding door of wood & heavy paper, opened or closed to alter the size of a room.  
10. **nii-san:** another word for big brother.  
11. **Ogenki dess-ka: **How are you  
12. **Kaze no Kuni: **literally _'the land of wind'_.  
13. **washi: **handmade paper  
14. **Sunagakure no Sato: **literally means _'Village Hidden within the Sand'_.  
15. **tatami mats:** straw-and-rush mats that cover the floor of a certain rooms; a room is measured in tatami mats.  
16.** irori:** the hearth at the heart of house, often kept burning as main source of heat and sometimes used for cooking.  
17. **Kami:** god, divine wind  
18. **kudasai**: please (give me or do for me)  
19. **Okaa-san:** mother  
20. **musume:** daughter  
21. **ok'san:** wife  
22.** Yokunai:** not good  
23. **Atsui**: hot  
24.** Dosh'te**: why  
25. **Onegai:** please (pleading)  
26. **Nani:** what  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Prologue**_


	2. Just Like Me

_**Glimpses of Fire  
**_**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**A/N: **Rewritten for your enjoyment! Actually, I just corrected a lot of mistakes, that's all. Enjoy.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o **Chapter One: Just Like Me **o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

'_**Come closer,'**__ the voice whispered as she continued to move forward. She was almost mesmerized by it and what lay ahead of her. Something inside of her told her to scream and resist, but she could only continue to do as the voice instructed._

'_**Just embrace it.'**__ She reached out and touched her hand to the surface of the mirror-like wall. Its cool surface became warm to the touch and then flared to life. After a moment it became clear and she was able to see through it and at first all she saw were flames licking against the invisible wall._

_Then she heard the screams as she gasped and pressed her face against the wall. She tried to look through the fire and saw them withering in agony as they tried to escape. They were calling out to her, reaching out to her to save them. It was her family._

_She banged her fists against the wall, trying to break it and help them. __**'You killed them,'**__ the voice whispered in her ear as she screamed._

_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o_

The five year old girl shot up in bed as she gasped and started to cough. She wrapped her arms around herself as she shuddered at the cold sweat that covered her small body. Her wide eyes peered around the dark room as tears slipped down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "So sorry."

The fire had taken everything from her and had almost claimed her own life as well. She wished it had killed her as well, and then she might have been spared the pain of these last few lonely months.

She escaped from the dark house now as the dawns' light started to spill in through the window of her nearly empty room. There were very little possessions that were left after that horrific night and what she did have had been provided by her uncle Katsu. He came by at times but never stayed long, but she didn't blame him. She had killed his two best friends.

Again she spent the day training and roaming the outskirts of the village. She never went into Suna because it was forbidden for her to do so. It had been decided by the Kazekage that she was too dangerous and hadn't even allowed her uncles to take her in. Now the only times she was allowed to enter the city was to buy supplies with money her uncles gave her.

It would be hot today as well and the wind slightly calmed her nerves as it caressed her tanned face. Her black hair had grown past her shoulders and it was tangled and wild. She had always had it combed and neat before, but that had been thanks to her mother. Her mother was dead now.

She trained everything her brother had taught her until her muscles ached and she collapsed to the ground. As she lay there, she knew that her clothes would get dirty but it didn't matter since no one would be there to lecture her. When her eyes stung with the promise of tears, she wiped her face and stood once again to train. It kept her mind off things she didn't want to think about.

When the sky was streaked with the light of an afternoon sun, she left the small training ground. She walked and came upon the playground as children her age ran around laughing. They wouldn't let her play with them because they knew something terrifying resided inside of her. She was different than all of them.

Even if she knew she should leave before they spotted her, she was rooted to the ground as she watched them kick a ball between two goals. She wanted to cover her ears to shut out the sound of their laughter. Then she noticed a red haired boy sitting by himself on a swing, and recognized him. He was another that was hated but he lived within the city. She had seen him before and had tired to approach him a few times, but she had always been deterred by a blonde haired man.

One of the boys kicked the ball too high, and it got stuck on top of a roof. The children stopped to look up and wondered how they would recover it. None of them were skilled enough in jutsu to be able to get it. She almost moved to help them but stopped as she saw the ball move, and it seemed to descend toward them on its own. Turning, she noticed that the boy had left the swing and approached them.

It was a bit surprising to realize that the ball was being moved by the very sand, and it deposited it in his hands. She saw now why he was feared. He was just like her, but he seemed to have more control than she had. She turned to look at the kids and saw that he was receiving the same fearful looks.

Their voices reached her where she stood. "It's Gaara," one girl spoke fearfully as the boy lifted the ball hesitantly.

"Here," he said, holding it out for them to take. There was a shy expression on his face and his movements were cautious as if he thought they would attack if he moved too quickly.

"Suna no Gaara," a boy muttered and stepped back. Their eyes were the same, viewing him as a monster. "Run!" They turned and all started to run from him. She looked at the boy and saw as his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He was frozen in place as he continued to hold the ball in his hands.

She gripped her chest as she winced, and wondered if this boy felt the same pain that she did when they all ran from her, avoided her, and called her bakemono.

"Matte!" he cried and lifted his hand toward the six fleeing children. "Don't leave me alone!" Her arms came around herself as she felt chilled and saddened, and as she watched, the sand sprung up and caught hold of the children. It started to drag them back toward the boy as they screamed.

She tilted her head to the side and could only watch them being pulled by the sand. Moving forward, they saw her and pleaded for help. The boy turned startling turquoise eyes toward her and she saw the crazed expression in them, and the sand sprung up toward her but she merely stood there. It surrounded her and cut her in various places on her skin, and blood spilled down her cheek as she closed her eyes. The sand seemed to howl like a beast that wanted to devour her, and she waited.

"Why are we different?" she whispered as it compressed around her to crush her. A split second later it stilled and fell away as if her words had been enough to stop it. When she opened her eyes and glanced up, she saw a man standing in front of the children.

It looked like the sand had attacked the others and he had jumped in front. There were cuts along his arms and face where it had slammed into him at full force. "Please stop, Gaara-sama!" he yelled at the boy who looked shocked.

The other kids had been released, and some of them appeared to have passed out. She looked down at the sand in confusion, not understanding. It had been so close. She had been so close! The sand would have crushed her and ended her suffering. "Dosh'te?" she asked and fell to her knees as tears spilling down her face. Everything should have ended then.

The man turned and seemed to misunderstand as he gave her a sympathetic look, and a kind smile. She recognized him. He was the one that had stopped her all those times she had tried to speak to the red head, and there was something else. His eyes held the same look as all the others. She saw the hate just behind the surface of his kind façade.

However, it wasn't directed at her and she saw his eyes shift toward the boy and understood that it was directed at him. Her gaze moved to him now, and saw that he was staring at her with those eyes that had black rings around them. His scarlet bangs fell over them and she couldn't help the smile that stretched over her face. "Do not trust so easily," she muttered before she stood and stumbled off.

She didn't want to go back to that house, but there was no where else for her to go. She had no home.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When the sun gave up its seat to the moon, she returned to the empty house. This wasn't her home, since that had burned to the ground with her family in the blazing inferno, and left her alone.

She sat on the floor and leaned against the wall beside the front door. Dragging her legs against her chest, she hugged them and rested her chin on her drawn up knees as her messy bangs hid her eyes.

'_Why are my eyes different?' _

'_Because when they were made, a bit of red got mixed in.'_

That's what her mother had said to her since her black eyes had blood red pupils and rimmed in crimson. Afterwards she had combed her long black hair until it shone with a healthy glow.

The tears came and flowed down her face as she remembered, and the salty liquid made her cuts sting. She made no expression of pain. Her eyes were blank as she stared into the darkness of the room, and all she could see were the flames. All she could remember was her mother's charred face staring at her from the burning house before it had collapsed around her.

Her mother had always been a frail woman and suffered from illness almost every day of Arisa's short life. She couldn't even muster the strength to lift her into her arms and hug her. Everyday she had suffered with that sickness, but that day was different.

She had forced open the window and had lifted her up like she weighed nothing before throwing her outside. As she sat up from where she had landed, she had seen her mother smile. She must have been in terrible pain in those last moments, yet she had smiled.

There was a knock on the door behind her as she gasped and turned around. She lifted her head as she gave the door a startled look, but she quickly wiped her blood-shot eyes. Turning, she pulled it open and blinked in confusion. The red haired boy from earlier stood there and he was holding a bag against his chest. Since the room behind her was dark, the light from the lamps outside spilled over her as she opened the door a bit wider, and she had to squint to see him clearly.

He offered her the bag. "I...brought you this, for your cuts," he muttered quietly. He was looking down as if he was ashamed but she had also seen the fear and hope in his eyes. "It's ointment." He stood there quietly as she stared at him. After a moment, she reached out and took it. She saw the surprise play across his face and wondered if he had done the same thing with the other children and had been rejected.

"Arigato," she whispered and saw his face relax in a smile. She suspected that it was a rare thing. "Would you...like to come in?" Her voice was underlined with hope. The house was dark and empty, and she didn't remember the last time her uncle had come over.

He hesitated and she flinched but offered a forced smile anyway. "You don't have to." _'They never want to come in.'_ She started to close the door, but he told her to wait. Opening it again, she peered at him expectantly. He nodded, and after a moment she stepped back and allowed him to enter.

She closed the door when he entered and plunged the room into darkness. The sound of his nervous shifting reached her ears as she moved down the hall. Since she hardly had any furniture she managed to avoid tripping over anything. When she reached the kitchen, she turned on the light and it lit up the hall she had gone down. The boy's slightly darkened figure stood by the door, and he followed when she motioned with her hand.

As he entered the room she had already started to make tea and told him to have a seat at the table that was in the middle of the small kitchen. He did as she instructed and she sat in the chair across from him a moment later. For a while, she merely stared at him and he started to shift around a bit nervously after several seconds.

"W-what is your name?" he asked her. She could tell that he wasn't use to talking with another but neither was she. After all, no one spoke to her. Next year she would start going to the ninja academy as her brother had done but she doubted that anyone would talk to her even then.

As he asked her for a name, she paused and tilted her head. She wasn't sure what to answer since to her, she had died along with her parents and brother in that fire. She was no longer Ashikaga Arisa. That person was dead.

When she opened her mouth, her own name did not pass her lips. "Ashikaga Eizan," she said her brother's name. She had been very close to him and he had taught her a lot in the last few years he had been alive.

He gave her a strange look, since it was mainly a boy's name but she only stood and walked toward the stove. The kettle had stared to whistle to indicate that the water was boiling. She poured the water and made tea for herself. "Would you like tea?"

She could feel his eyes on her back as he stared like they all did, but he was different. The sand coming to life and attacking the kids was proof of that. This boy was feared as she was. Unlike him, she was able to summon something else to her bidding, though. It was the reason why she blamed herself for the fire. She had started it.

Even if she had not meant to, she had done so. That was her Kekkei Genkai. She could create fire or manipulate it to her will. She was sure that her mother had known it had been her fault, but she had still saved her. By that time, her brother and father were already dead.

The nightmare had started it all and it had started to consume her room and then her brother's. The ceiling had crushed him and her parents had been awakened by the sound of it caving in.

They had most likely known that he was dead and had gone after her first, her father using a water jutsu to cut a path to her. He had managed to douse her with a weak water technique to bring her around before the fire consumed him. She had awoken to his shrieks of agony and screamed as she cowered on the already demolished bed.

Her mother, who had somehow managed to survive the flames surrounding them, had rushed in as sections of the roof started to collapse. She had forced the window open even as the flames licked at her arms and hands, and had lifted her. She'd faltered only once before throwing her outside.

When she sat up she saw her mother's face smiling at her from the burning house before the whole structure crumbled on her. That last image of her mother had been burned into her memory forever. She'd been found staring blankly at the rubble that had once been her home.

They all knew what had happened and feared that it would happen again if they got knew her. The next day, the Kazekage had decided that it was not safe for her to live within the city, and hadn't let her uncles care for her. She was confined to this small house just on the outskirts of Suna.

No one dared visit her except for her uncle and two of her cousins that brought her food, clothing or money to get by. The two girls that visited her had family abilities that the others didn't and were avoided as well. Theirs weren't as frightening as hers, but they were mostly avoided because they were related to her like her other cousins.

"No, I prefer coffee." The boys' voice wrenched her from her musings, and she clenched her hand over the handle of the kettle. She tried not to think of the things that made her life miserable, but at times she wasn't able to help it.

She nodded and made him the coffee without hesitation, but didn't asking why he drank such a strong drink. She had seen the dark circles under his eyes and suspected that he didn't get a lot of sleep. When she asked if he wanted any cream or sugar he simply stated that he drank it black. Again, she didn't ask him about it.

Walking over, she set it before him before moving to sit down. She would have offered him something to eat with it, but the only thing that she had was the necessary things. She had nothing to be offered to a guest such as odango, or even ohagi.

They sat in silence as they each drank from their own cups. After a moment, she looked at him. "They don't like me either," she said and he looked startled. Then he smiled slightly.

After a moment he lifted his gaze and looked around once. "Where's your family?" he asked her quietly. Her hands froze as she had been about to set the cup of tea back on the saucer, and she lowered her head until her bangs obscured her eyes.

She held back a shudder as the memories came again but managed to shove them back into the recees of her mind. "I…killed them," she finally answered. When she lifted her head there was a surprised look on his face. "It was an accident. I can't control it."

He seemed confused, so she lifted her hand in front of her, and concentrated hard so the ability wouldn't go out of her control. Soon, flames started to crawl over the skin of her arm, wrist and hand. He watched with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. She moved her fingers a bit to show him that it didn't hurt. "They also call me a monster."

"You…are just like me," he muttered and a smile cracked his once sad features. She found herself returning it. "You can be my friend because you are like me." A light came lit up her eyes as she nodded her head. She really _did_ hope that they could eventually become friends because the loneliness was torture.

When he was leaving, she asked him his name and he hesitated before replying. "It's… Gaara." She smiled and nodded.

Before he walked out the door she caught his arm and he turned to look at her. "I would not trust that man," she warned. "His eyes are hateful even when his face is kind."

He frowned slightly as he turned to face her, and she released him. "You mean Yashamaru?" he asked her. He shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. He's the one that made me the ointment. He was worried about you being hurt."

The muscles in her face hardened and her hand gripped the door knob tightly. "His eyes are the same. They are the same as everyone else that looks at me with hate and fear, as if I were some kind of monster," she growled. "You would do well to be careful.

When he shook his head again and tried to protest, she slammed the door in his face. She leaned against it as she breathed in deeply and after several moments she heard him walk away.

She covered her face with her hands as she slid to the floor. _'Dosh'te?'_ He had been one of the only people that had been kind to her since her family's death, and she had driven him away. She had only been trying to warn him.

But she had seen it in his eyes. He cared about this person, and to have said such things about him... It would always be the same.

She curled into a ball as she fell to the floor and drew in shaky breaths as she tried not to cry. For a moment she wondered if this was her fate. She wondered what horrible thing she had done in her past life to have been cursed with this ability. If she really was cursed then maybe she was destined to be alone and hated for the rest of her life.

Maybe she really was a monster.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1. **Suna no Gaara:** Gaara of the Sand  
2. **bakemono:** monster  
3. **matte:** wait  
4. **arigato:** thanks, thank you  
5. **Kekkei Genkai:** advanced bloodline, refers to something passed down through the genetic make-up in a specific clans. Many fear the clans that possessed these skills, which could not be copied outside of the clans.  
6. **Kazekage:** literally "Wind Shadow"; top ninja in Hidden Sand Village  
7.** odango: **dumplings.  
8. **ohagi:** rice cake covered with bean jam, soybean or ground sesame.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter One**_


	3. Betrayal, Purposes

_**Glimpses of Fire**_**  
Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. (AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri) (Linked to _"__Caught in the Rain__"_)

**AN:** Don't you just hate when you notice a lot of mistakes? _-sigh-_ This is once again, revised and corrected for your enjoyment, so enjoy!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Two: Betrayal, Purposes**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan coughed as she stumbled and paused in her training. Usually she didn't train during the night since it was cold and she was affected by it more than others because of her abilities, but she needed to blow off some steam. No one would care if she was gone for a few days, and she needed to train because soon she would start at the Academy.

Becoming a ninja like her brother had been the only thing that was left for her, since she had kept him from achieving that goal. She would have preferred to die but she'd never have the courage to commit suicide, but if she became a ninja she might be killed during a mission.

She doubted that anyone would miss her and so she put everything out of her mind and concentrated on training under the moon's light. The young girl was within the Suna even if she shouldn't, and she'd located herself to a rooftop so she wouldn't be spotted. She didn't want to train in the area her house was located. She hated that place.

That's when she heard the sound of someone approaching and was drawn to the edge of the roof she was upon. She saw a ninja sprinting along the lower roofs and his face was covered, but she recognized the Suna headband. Crouching on the edge, she peered down at him until he had passed under her and continued on.

Her curiosity got the better of her and started to follow him but made sure to keep a good distant away and avoided using too much chakra or he'd sense her presence. From a very young age, her brother, who had been on his way to becoming an excellent ninja, had taught her quite a bit. While she wasn't even at the level of a Genin yet, she had always been able to catch onto the techniques quickly. She had learned few jutsu and now she kept them close and trained to perfect them. It was the only way that she could keep her brother and parents alive, and so she continued to train hard what she had been taught and absorbed.

When he stopped, she did as well and turned to see what he was looking at and saw a figure about her size sitting by themselves with their back to the ninja. It was dark and so she wasn't able to see whom it was too clearly, but she could tell that he was most likely weeping quietly. The Suna-nin silently attacked, sending several kunai in his direction. She contemplated the idea of warning him, but was afraid that she might be discovered within the city, and it was too late anyway.

Eizan was surprised when the sand shot up to protect him. _'He's attacking Gaara!'_ The red haired boy also looked stunned as he stood and turned to face the man with a fearful expression. Then his features hardened as his sand blocked another barrage of kunai. There was anger on his face now, and she knew it all too well.

She felt that same anger every time someone looked at her with those hateful eyes. Several times she had asked why she had to go through something like this, and endure the blind hatred of people that didn't know the kind of person she was. People that didn't know the details of something she couldn't control.

Her eyes caught a glimmer of light on the edge of her vision and she saw the ninja preparing an attack as he distracted Gaara from seeing. It looked like he would trigger from the side by using wire as he feigned a frontal assault. She had seen the sand protect him several times but she wasn't sure it would sense the kunai in time.

There was no time to think and she let her body react instinctively. She was in front of him and then felt the kunai sink into her back moments later. It almost made her cry out, but clenched her teeth and took in deep breaths to stop herself. Gaara took in a small breath in surprise that might have been a gasp and looked at her in confusion, not understanding what had happened.

She let a grin spread over her features. "I told you...to be careful," she gasped and collapsed to the side. Her blood spilled from the wounds and stained the ground around her. They hadn't done too much damage, but realized that if they had hit Gaara it would have been worse.

Thinking about it now, she didn't really know why she had jumped in front of that attack. _'You can be my friend because you are like me.'_ She chuckled softly as his earlier words came back to haunt her, but she knew the truth.

He was shunned by the entire world and understood the pain of loneliness. No doubt he felt the same pain within his chest like she did. These thoughts ran over and over again in her mind, and came to the conclusion that perhaps he would be able to dispel the cover of darkness that surrounded her very life.

When she dared to move again, she listened around her but could only hear the shifting of the sand. As she was finally able to lift her head, she saw that it had engulfed the masked ninja. He fought vainly against it before the smaller male closed his hand and the sand quickly crushed him. His blood splattered in various directions as she stood and stumbled toward Gaara as the ninja's body hit the floor. She saw that he was looking down at the man uncertainly, and fear clouding his features.

As she reached his side and fell onto her knees, he was reaching out a trembling hand toward the ninja's mask. She saw the ends of blonde hair sticking out around it and she sighed as she lowered her gaze. Eizan knew who it was and when he removed the covering they both found themselves staring into Yashamaru's face.

His bloodied face looked calm even as he laid there, and blood ran from the corners of his mouth as he looked at Gaara. "You are strong, as I expected, Gaara-sama," he said quietly.

The red head gasped and clutched his chest as pain gripped him. "Yashamaru," he whimpered in disbelief. She could only watch as he fell to his knees. He gripped his head, turned his face to the sky and screamed.

She was shaken by the terror and pain it contained as she wrapped her arms around her body. Her chest throbbed as she winced but it had been a different kind of pain. '_What is this feeling?_' she wondered.

Gaara questioned him on his actions as she stared at the man with an expressionless face. She felt bad for the red head but she wasn't too surprised. His eyes had revealed his hate and that he couldn't be trusted. The thought caused her to frown and knew that she simply wasn't willing to trust anyone and thus suspected everyone.

Her eyes lingered over Gaara's face and saw that he was in so much pain and for a moment wished that she could take it within herself. Perhaps that pain could maybe make her feel alive again.

"It was an order," Yashamaru finally answered. Her gaze moved to fasten on the older ninja this time. "By your father, Kazekage." Shock gripped her then since she hadn't known that this boy's father was someone she hated. Now she was interested in hearing the rest and she listened as well.

Gaara asked why his father had sent Yashamaru to kill him, and he explained that the Kazekage had placed the order to seal Shukaku inside of him. Then he would be observed like an experiment. They saw that he had no control over the sand or the being within him, and might one day become a danger to the village. He had to be eliminated.

The red head seemed overwhelmed by this information but he thought a moment before smiling weakly. "Then you did this unwillingly because Father ordered you to?" he asked with his last scrap at hope hanging by a thread.

Eizan saw that his face was now streaked with tears, and she frowned as she sighed quietly. Even now she saw the hatred behind the man's eyes as they were fixed on the boy. Gaara was deceiving himself but she didn't have any right to say this to him.

Yashamaru shook his head. "That's not correct. Even if it was an order I could have chosen to decline it." His eyes turned toward the sky overhead and ignored the stricken look on the younger male's face. "Deep within my heart...I hated you," he told him. "My beloved sister, your mother, was used as a sacrifice to seal the Shukaku inside of you. She died giving birth to you and cursing this village." His eyes narrowed slightly at this before his face softened into a look of sorrow. "I carried a wound that could never heal."

Eizan wanted to shut him up but knew that Gaara needed to hear the truth. She knew first hand that living in a fantasy wasn't good, but he was suffering so much. As she caught sight of his lifeless eyes she shuddered and made a decision.

If she stayed by Gaara's side then she could keep him alive and also deter the Kazekage's plans. Her childish mind told her that this way neither of them would be alone again. She wanted to take away that lifeless look from his stare that Yashamaru's betrayal had put there.

"My sister gave you your name. _'This child's name is Gaara'_," Yashamaru continued to speak. His eyes had returned to stare at the darkened heavens above. "An Asura that loves himself. Love only yourself. And fight only for yourself. By doing so, you can continue to exist. Your name carries those wishes." He looked up at Gaara as tears still ran down his face.

"But my sister did not give you the name because she cared for you or loved you. She gave you that name so that you could continue to exist. Because she hated and cursed this village as she died, and she wanted her deep hatred to exist and remain. To let others know of it." He smiled suddenly but there was no warmth behind it. "You were not loved."

Eizan fell onto her rear and hissed softly as the impact jarred her wounds to send spasms of pain through her entire body. When she wiped the sweat that covered her forehead she smeared it with the blood that had stained her hands. Her breathing was labored but she listened to Yashamaru's words and winced at his last words. She was unloved now. Gaara was alone in this world, and not needed by anyone, just as she was.

Yashamaru pulled open his vest to reveal the exploding notes covering him and they ignited. "This is it. Please die." Gaara's gaze had fallen toward the ground and he didn't see them, or didn't care. She cried out, but her warning came too late.

The explosion rocked the surrounding area and all she could do was shield herself with her arms. She was thrown back and gasped as she landed on her back. A whimper of pain escaped her lips as the kunai sunk further into her flesh, and she rolled onto her side as quickly as she could.

After several seconds she managed to sit up and ignored the pain as she stared ahead. Gaara sat where he had been and he was unscathed. His sand had come up in time to protect him from the exploding notes. They had destroyed the ground around the dome of sand and from what remained, she knew Yashamaru was dead. She was glad that he hadn't taken Gaara with him.

She slowly rose to her feet and staggered toward him. He had collapsed on his hands and knees and he was sobbing in such a way that he was practically screaming in pain. Eizan wished she could say something to comfort him but she wasn't even sure he would hear her.

He lifted his gaze suddenly, and she saw something snap within his eyes that flashed a golden color a moment later. The sand start to move around him as it howled with the six-year-olds' pain. His gaze fixed on her and she was caught within the sand storm as she cried out in shock but could do nothing as she was whipped around above the red head.

She was going too fast to see as the sand shot toward his forehead and started to carve something into his flesh. All she heard was his screaming and a few minutes later everything stopped and she was flung back toward the ground. She landed with a grunt of pain and the only thing that she was grateful for was that she had landed on her stomach this time.

Now she lifted her gaze slowly and saw blood running down Gaara's face. His sand had carved the kanji symbol _'Ai'_ into his flesh. He turned his dead turquoise eyes on her and she shuddered at what she saw there.

"That is what Gaara is...Me," he whispered. There was no more life in that gaze as it met her crimson rimmed eyes. "I finally understand. I'm alone. I won't believe in anyone, or love anyone. I'm alone. Yes, I am alone." He lifted his hand toward her and felt the sand wrapping around her.

When she was lifted into the air she stared at him as he started to close his hand. The sand tightened around her and pressed on her chest so she had trouble breathing. A smile crossed her face as she closed her eyes and waited. _'Tou-san. Okaa-san. Eizan-nii-san.'_

She was stunned when she was released and thrown once again to land on her stomach at his feet as she hissed in pain. He looked down at her and noticed the kunai as if he hadn't seen them before. Eizan lifted her eyes and saw as his narrowed. Gaara looked like he was trying to regain some form of control. "Why...did you?" he asked as he reached out and pulled out one of the kunai as she winced.

As he pulled out another of the three that remained, the black haired girl rested her face against the cool, uncomfortable ground. "Because you are just like me," she muttered the words he had said earlier.

His hand paused as he removed the last weapon from her back, and then let it fall to the ground. He crouched beside her but she didn't move as her eyes fastened on the kunai's dirtied edge. The moonlight glinted off the unsoiled side and it reflected in the dark pools of her eyes. She felt the coolness of the ground seeping into the contours of her bloody face. Her body ached all over and knew she had sustained several cuts when she had been trapped within the tornado of sand.

"I don't trust you," she heard him speak after several seconds. His voice was not like she had heard when he had come to her house. It had been hesitant and almost innocently naïve, just as hers had been before her family's demise. He had changed now, like she had.

She laughed quietly and nodded. "I know you don't," she muttered before she shakily lifted herself onto her hands and knees and met his gaze. When she was on just her knees, she bowed her head toward him. "He's wrong," she whispered. "You're not a failure. They will see."

Her father had told her that when she became a ninja like him and her brother then she would serve the Kazekage. However, that man hated her and she hated him, so she could never serve him. She peered into Gaara's cold eyes and knew she wanted to stay with him since they were so alike.

The only problem was that he didn't trust anyone and might not believe her if she said she wanted to be his friend. So, her only option was to stay at his side as if she were serving the Kazekage. He was his father's enemy, and as her Eizan-nii-san had always said _'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'_.

She hadn't understood it then but she did now. If she was with Gaara at all times, protecting him and serving him then she would never be alone again either. Also, by staying alive she would ensure that her brother and family's legacy as ninja would never die.

After a moment, Gaara stood and stared down at her with that same cold stare. "My only purpose is to end life," he said quietly, and she was the crazed look in his stare. He hadn't been backed into his last bit of sanity. It had been torn from him. "To fight only for myself and love only myself."

They were both so young but even then they knew their purpose. She nodded as she bent to one knee in a show of submission. "Hai, and mine will be to help you fulfill that purpose, Gaara-dono," she muttered.

Eizan watched his shadow as it spread across the floor in front of her and after a moment she saw him nod. Relief flooded through her and she stood as he turned away. They both gazed off over the edge of the roof they were on. The teddy bear he had always carried with him had been thrown aside and was splattered in blood, and now it lay forgotten. The time of childhood had ended, for both of them.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:**  
1. **Sunagakure no Sato:** literally means _'Village Hidden within the Sand'_  
2. **-sama:** this is one level higher than "-san". It is used to confer great respect  
3. **Shukaku:** is said to be the corrupted spirit of a Sand Priest turned demon; also Shukaku can be translated to mean _'drunk'_.  
4. **Asura:** an enemy of the gods in Hindu mythology, a demon  
5. **exploding note:** this tool is a note which explodes after a set amount of time  
6. **Ai:** romanji spelling for the kanji representing _'love'_.  
7. **-dono: **this comes from the word "tono," which means "lord." It is an even higher level than "-sama" and confers utmost respect.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Two**_


	4. Being a Kunoichi

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**A/N: **I noticed several mistakes and had to repost cause they were bugging me. Btw, Happy Turkey day, a bit late but it's the thought that counts. Hope ya didn't stuff yourselves like turkeys! (I don't really like it but give me the apple pie! XD)

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Three: Being a Kunoichi**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The first few days at the academy hadn't been the best week of her life, but she had not been completely isolated. She had entered a year earlier than she had intended and thus placed in Gaara's class. Also, the two cousins on her mother's side of the family were also in the same class. They were Itagaki Akemi and Erizawa Miwako. Akemi was her uncle Katsuhiko's daughter and Miwako was from the Erizawa Main House. She knew they were forbidden to speak to her, but she had seen them make an attempt several times. Eizan had told them none too nicely to stay away. It was better for them this way.

The red head had asked her once why she called him _'Gaara-dono'_. She had explained that her father had always referred to the Kazekage with "-dono", and since she was serving him in the same way, she had to show him proper respect. His face had looked troubled and she wished she knew why.

She could tell that he still didn't trust her, but at least he spoke to her once in a while. It gave her a bit of hope that maybe one day he'd open up to her. It was a fool's hope, but one she wasn't willing to give up on. For the time being, she only wanted him to forget the loneliness he had felt all this time.

When he had walked away, she had smiled slightly and hurried after him. She learned to shut out the hateful stares and fearful whispering when she was with him. They could say what they wanted and look however long they wished. She had Gaara at her side and she wasn't alone. It was enough for the moment. And she wished she could freeze that instant so it would never change.

But time did pass and before she knew it, half a year had gone by. During that time she had refused to take ikebana classes that all kunoichi had to take. It was so that they could blend in as regular women when within enemy territory. She already knew this since she had watched her mother do it many times. While she had never tried it, Eizan was certain she _could_ if she tried. But she didn't want to try it!

Another thing that hadn't been pleasant was the confusion during her registration. She had written her brother's name and the record's people had given her a strange look. They had tried to change it to her given name but she had adamantly refused to take it.

In her anger, her hands had burst into flame at her sides. The Chunin dealing with her had been startled half to death and had backed off. They relented and agreed to her demands and she had been glad even if she had had to use their fear to achieve it. As she had walked out with the ID she had ignored the eyes upon her.

They had given Eizan her brother's old Academy identification card for the time being until they made another for her. They looked so much alike that they could have been twins, except her hair was much longer than his had been in the picture. She almost laughed as she remembered that at one point, her mother had told her sibling that he had "a lovely face". She'd never forget the way his features had reddened in an undignified way.

As she walked back to the empty house she had frowned at the Id. The word "Deceased" had been stamped just below his picture but the information could still be seen clearly. Her frown had deepened and twisted her pale features as she ran her fingertips over the offensive word. She felt a stab of pain and remorse as the horrific day played itself out within the confines of her mind. It was a constant torture.

Before she had entered the academy, she had already mastered certain jutsu such as henge, bunshin and a Katon jutsu as well. Her brother had taught her these after realizing that she could learn fire techniques rather quickly.

Once she had transformed into Gaara and had scared some of the students in their class. It hadn't been intentional but it _had_ been amusing. When she had seen the pained look in the red head's face, she had been overwhelmed with guilt. She'd fallen to her knees with her legs tucked under like in seiza, but with her head bowed low and hands at the side of her hand against the ground. Her father had taught her that it was a way to beg forgiveness, by doing dogeza.

"Get up," Gaara had muttered and looked away. "I don't ever want to see you do that again. It's for the weak." His voice had started to become colder recently, but every now and then she saw a hint of kindness with his eyes. She had agreed to be his subordinate but she couldn't deny that she cared for Gaara. After all, he was the only friend she ever had.

She fell back into her idealistic personality and tried to get his opaque turquoise orbs to come alive again. He became easily annoyed by her attempts and would disappear from her sight for long periods of time. While it was depressing to a point of tears for her when it happened, Eizan refused to weep or give up.

Every day her infallible enthusiasm was met with his impassive responses. And over time her eyes started to lose their shimmer of optimism. Then one day, several years later, she forgot what it was to smile and what laughter sounded like. She couldn't remember any other reason for her existence other than being a tool. After all, this is what shinobi were in the end and disposable when they lost their luster.

As they grew older, Eizan did everything he asked of her as long as it pleased him. She began to read the few expressions he made and would know what he wanted without him having to ask. So in a sense, she began to think like him.

Ever since Yashamaru had tried to kill Gaara, there had been numerous other attempts to take his life. He had killed them every time, but she had interfered once when Gaara had turned eight years old. She had destroyed a building and while there had been a lot of injuries, only the assassin had died. After that, the red head had forbidden her to interrupt again.

He had grown unstable over the years and enjoyed taking the lives of those that came for his. Every time he killed, she saw a portion of that remaining kindness die away as well. She was afraid that one day it would disappear and he'd lose sight of himself. It was a terrifying thought.

Eizan had quickly learned that he hardly ever slept. He had never told her and she hadn't asked, but she knew it most likely had to do with the Incarnate of Sand within him. She wondered if it would get free and devour him if he happened to sleep. One night, he had asked her to watch him while he tried to sleep. It had been a bit startling but she had agreed to wake him if it looked like the demon was starting to escape.

The first times he had managed to get half an hour of rest before she had to wake him up. However, during one of those sessions she had been exhausted from training and had fallen asleep after him. The biju had broken through and attacked her. It had demolished her house and gravely injured her. Gaara never tried to sleep in her presence again.

Eizan knew she had failed him and had felt awful, but his presence had reassured her. If he was still at her side that meant that he forgave her for the mistake. By this point she had stopped asking him for anything for herself and only did as he asked. It was almost to a point that if he asked for her heart, she'd gladly rip it out of her chest and hand it to him before she died.

She didn't know if he realized it, or didn't care, but he had saved her life by allowing her to remain by his side for so long. He had dispelled her loneliness and gave her a reason to live again, and so would offer up her life to him if he desired it.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gaara was twelve and Eizan eleven when they graduated from the academy to officially become Genin. Akemi and Miwako had also passed to the Genin level that same year. They were to be put into three man cells with two of the students of the same class.

She almost strangled the substitute Chunin instructor when he placed her in a different team than Gaara. It had been a sight as the red head had made her stop with a simple word. Eizan had sighed and resigned herself. They'd learned to fear the sand using shinobi even more as they realized that she followed any order he gave her.

One of the boys had muttered something along the lines of her being Gaara's lap dog. She hadn't heard him because he had been across the room, but moments later Akemi had appeared besides him and decked the taller ninja. He'd fallen like a ton of bricks to the floor and had looked at the Itagaki with a stunned expression. Eizan was a bit confused and wouldn't find out what had happened until several months later.

Gaara had been placed in a cell with his two siblings, Temari and Kankurou, who had been Genin longer than them. Eizan despised them both. Kankurou resembled his father greatly and she suspected that the scarlet haired shinobi hated him for the same reason. The older boy must have learned this since he started to wear Kabuki face paint shortly after Gaara joined his team.

Temari resembled his mother more but she doubted that Gaara hated her because of this. Eizan disliked her so much because she had looked at her youngest brother with the same fear and hate as all those ignorant villages and other ninja when they had been younger. Not to mention the fact that they were weaker when compared to both Gaara and her.

Eizan had been placed in a cell with Akemi and Miwako. It was easy to see that they were good fighters, but she was still stronger since training had been all she had devoted herself since her family's deaths. Their clothing, however, had too much of a feminine flair and not enough protection for battle.

Akemi even wore a skirt, and even if she wore shorts underneath, she didn't like it. It would be good if they were in enemy territory and had to blend in with civilians, but it was unacceptable while in the village.

"Are you girls or ninja?" Eizan asked them as she was forced to sit with them. The desk had enough room for three people, and she sat on the edge at they sat to her left. It had been her intention to join Gaara but he had stopped her with a shake of his head. So she had followed her instructors' orders for once.

Miwako ran her slender fingers through her shoulder length black hair, and fixed intense emerald eyes on the shortest of them. "We are ninja of course," she replied with a smirk.

"Wrong," Eizan snapped. "You are kunoichi that dress like girls and have unfit names." She leaned back in her seat as she glanced at Gaara as he sat a few desks away by himself. A soft sigh left her lips and she turned her attention back to the taller girls.

Akemi's arms were folded upon the desk before her and she now turned her body and head slightly back to look at her. She surpassed the Ashikaga girl in height, size and age, but there was something about her that made the Itagaki listen.

"How're our names unfit?" Miwako spoke up once more while her companion remained silent besides her.

She stifled a yawn as her crimson-rimmed orbs shifted from one to the other. "Names like yours are good if you are under the guise of a civilian. However, in the village you will be called kunoichi and considered weaker." A smirk spread over her features. "That is how the Kazekage sees us, as the weaker sex."

"Wouldn't that be an advantage?" Akemi finally spoke up. She pushed back a few strands of her waist length, dark brown hair behind her ear, and even as she seemed to be disagreeing with her logic, her black eyes were riveted on Eizan.

"Hai, it would be an advantage outside of Suna, but not within." She folded her arms behind her head and gave them an almost bored look. "We are a kunoichi cell and in their eyes we will not be strong enough for anything other than D-rank missions."

Before either girl could disagree, Eizan stood as they were dismissed for lunch. She could tell that they didn't seem convinced by her words. "I guess it shouldn't bother you," she replied as her eyes narrowed. "You have your families' wealth to depend on in case you only get D-rank assignments." She moved off toward the door that the red head had disappeared through as she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

Akemi and Miwako watched her go and then turned to look at their clothing. The fire user had a point. Even if they were given the low paying missions, they'd still have their families. Eizan, on the other hand, didn't have anyone to depend on for food and clothing but her.

The two girls glanced at one another and nodded before standing and hurrying out the door. They only had half an hour to get back to the classroom.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gaara had disappeared after having finished his lunch and she was left to eat the rest of hers alone. When she was done, she'd spread out on the roof they had been on and gazed at the sky. There was hardly any wind today, and she could see the clouds since they weren't obscured by the sand storm. She folded her arms behind her head with a sigh and enjoyed the heat of the day.

Her black hair had been as long as Akemi's at one point, but had been cut so that it reached her jaw and left wild. The Suna hitai-ate she had received was fastened on her forehead and it was twisted up to the left at an angle and held her long bangs away from her eyes. She wore chain mail and a protective vest underneath a dark purple shirt with black fishnet sleeves that ended above her elbows. Her blank pants were bandaged at the right thigh with a kunai holster attached to it, and her shuriken holster at her left thigh. She also donned the black issue sandals.

Two years ago she had carved the kanji sign for love into her upper left shoulder, just above her growing breast with a sharpened kunai. Gaara had found her as she had been stopping the bleeding and had slapped her as she had fallen to the ground. She had stared up at him in shock; since it was the first time he had struck her.

He had crouched in front of her as she glanced away, and his hands had closed her opened shirt but left the wound exposed. "Why did you do this?" he asked her tonelessly. He had thrown the bloody bandages she had been using aside, and had pressed clean ones from his pouch against the scarred flesh.

Eizan had glanced back and met his eyes, but had been unable to identify the emotion within them. She had been unable to hold his gaze and had looked away again to rest her eyes on his hand as it pressed the bandages against her wound to stop the bleeding.

"I wanted to feel your pain," she finally said. At the time she had been desperate to feel closer to him, since he had been pulling away everyday. She had been afraid that one day all she'd see in him was hatred and death.

She had seen his hand still for the slightest moment, and then start to dab at the wound once again. "You are a fool," he had told her in that emotionless tone.

When she risked a look at his face, he met her gaze and she saw that hint of kindness once more. It had been a bit startling but then she smiled and nodded. "Hai," she had agreed.

Eizan sat up and glanced off the side of the roof. Gaara had told her that he would meet his two teammates in another location and she had to return to the classroom by herself to meet her Jonin sensei. She sighed as she jumped off the roof and made her way back to the building, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she went.

Before she reached the door, she stopped as two figures appeared in front of her. The taller one had a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up and gray pants with the left leg wrapped in bandages. She saw that there was a pouch at her right lower back and shuriken and kunai holsters at the right thigh. The same black sandals were worn and the Suna hitai-ate was at her forehead as her bangs fell across it. Eizan could see a dark brown braid over one shoulder and she realized that it was Akemi.

Miwako was on her right side and was wearing a short sleeved, black shirt and white shorts and the left thigh had her holsters and she also had the pouch at her back where everything from kunai, shuriken and scrolls could be kept. Her sand headband was tied around her waist and black hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"What-"

"We simply followed your advice," Miwako said with a slight grin. She placed her hands at her waist and seemed slightly amused by the look on Eizan's face. "I think it'll be harder to change our names, but for now just called me Erizawa Iwane." This was said with a shrug. "I never liked the name Miwako anyways."

Akemi had been quiet this whole time and now she looked at Eizan. "My grandfather and parents won't agree with my choice to change my clothes and name," she said with a hint of defiance in her black eyes. "So call me Itagaki Amane."

Eizan glanced from one to the other and sighed as she stretched her arms over her head. "Very well then, let's go meet our weak sensei," she muttered with a yawn, although she found a smirk stretching over her features as she walked off. _'Perhaps things won't be so bad.'_

The three girls entered the classroom to see several of the other teams going off with their sensei. They took a seat at a nearby desk to wait for theirs and before long the others had left so only they remained. The substitute Chunin instructor had gone off as well with the petty excuse of a meeting with his co-workers. Eizan had hopped up on the desk to wait and the newly named Amane and Iwane had opted to stand beside the desk.

After several minutes, Eizan stood as she gave a yawn and started to walk off. "I'm leaving," she muttered and the two girls hurried to catch up to her.

As they reached the door, someone opened it and the pyro glanced up at the older ninja. He wore his Suna headband around his right upper arm over the sleeve of his black shirt that went to his elbows. His pants were also black and there wasn't a hint of color on him, since his sandals were also black. It reminded her of Kankurou's own all black clothing. She hated him already.

His longish reddish brown hair was pulled in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. A black cloth mask hid the lower part of his face, but his dark brown eyes were fixed on the shortest girl in a hateful manner. '_So, the instructor hates me as well? Just peachy.'_

"And where are you three going?" he asked, but was only looking at Eizan with that cold stare. She could tell that he was strong, but it didn't bother her that he hated her. Almost all of Suna hated her besides Gaara, a young Suna ANBU, Amane and Iwane, so she was use to it.

Everyone had obviously thought she hung around Gaara because they were both isolated. Now that they knew she served him they'd be more hostile toward her. She didn't care since she'd be willing to suffer through hell for the red headed shinobi. All she cared about was staying by his side. Eizan didn't know what would become of her if he ever dismissed her. She only knew that she'd rather die than return to the loneliness again.

A hand slipped to her hip as she stared fearlessly back at her instructor. "You're late," she told him bluntly.

The Jonin raised an eyebrow and a grin spread over his features under his mask. "You're not going anywhere." His harsh gaze lifted and fastened on both Amane and Iwane, as both girls seemed intimidated by him. Eizan merely crossed her arms over her chest and met his stare unflinchingly when it came to land on her once again.

Kazuyoshi Enoki narrowed his eyes when she refused to look away or cower. He had seen Ashikaga Arisa after her family's death and she had been a weak, fearful five-year-old girl. She had changed drastically over the years.

"Your training starts now." He turned and left the Academy. Once outside he headed toward the edge of the village as the sun started to set. The training grounds would be hard to see since the moon's light did not reach there due to the cliffs located close by.

If Eizan had heard his thoughts, she would have almost laughed. Ashikaga Arisa was dead, and she was Ashikaga Eizan.

The two girls looked at her, but she merely shrugged and followed after him as they did the same. She never once let her guard down around anyone besides Gaara, since she hadn't told him something. After she had interfered with the assassination attempt when he had been eight, the Kazekage had sent an assassin after her as well.

She had been walking alone toward her house that night and she hadn't been expecting it. Before the sand-nin could inflict harm on her, someone had stopped him. She had looked up and had been almost horrified to see an Anbu member standing in front of her.

He wore a black long sleeved shirt with the Suna symbol stitched into the right bicep. The sleeves were tucked into matching gloves that had a thin metal plate over the knuckles, and a beige armored vest was worn over the shirt. There were shin guards secured over the black pants, and he also donned black issue sandals but they looked different than hers.

Eizan hadn't wanted to take her eyes off of him, but her gaze had unconsciously gone to the dead assassin. He had disappeared without a word and she had only caught sight of his short, spiky brown hair because a white porcelain mask had hid his face. It had had the Suna symbol etched into the right cheek and the kanji for _'Harukaze' _on the forehead.

He saved her every time they came for her life, but he never let her thank him before he left as quickly as he had showed up. She'd learned to never sleep in her room, and to let Gaara handle them when they came while she was with him. It was obvious to her that that they were after them both, but she never told him about the other times and she didn't know why.

That's why she was suspicious of their Jonin instructor since he might be after her life as well. However, that isn't what had happened that night as they had arrived at the training ground that was located farthest away from the houses.

Enoki had vanished among the quickly gathering shadows as they had stopped and looked around for him. He attacked several moments later and after managing to avoid him, she realized he was serious. He didn't pull back his punches if they didn't manage to block, and some could inflict serious harm.

When he attacked next it was a frontal assault and threw several shuriken before him. Eizan was blocking the other two's view but she saw as they each moved around her to deflect the projectiles. The fire wielder flipped over their heads and met Enoki head on. Their kunai clashed and locked into place. He had the greater strength, but she used her excess chakra to keep him at bay and he was surprised as he felt himself gradually being forced back.

Lifting a leg to kick her, she lifted hers to block it and force it to the ground once again. She pushed forward and he was slightly off balance for a second. Taking advantage of it, she used all her strength against him as he stumbled back. Eizan flipped backwards and her feet nailed him under the chin as he fell back. Because of her chakra and her training, she had been able to match his speed.

It continued on like this that night, and he picked up the level of his attacks every half an hour. The other two girls weren't as fast and she was forced to defend them too many times, and had sustained numerous wounds but luckily it was nothing fatal. The others weren't in danger and only had minor injuries thanks to her interference.

She blocked another attack meant for Akemi and got hurt in the process. The pain shot through her as she clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. Quickly, she started to form seals for a jutsu as he came at them again.

'_Katon, Housenka no Jutsu!'_ She brought her hand around her mouth and breathed in before expelling fireballs from her mouth rapidly. Her brother had taught her this jutsu a long time ago, but she had only mastered it a year after his death.

He had learned it from someone in Konohagakure no Sato. Eizan had met him, since she had been there when her sibling had taken part in the Chunin Exam. During her Academy days, she had found out that the leaf-nin had killed his entire clan. She wasn't sure whether it was true or not, but her brother had told her that he had been stronger despite being younger.

Enoki frowned and jumped back several times to avoid the fireballs. When she prepared to make her next move, he held out a hand to stop her. "Training is over for tonight," he said as he breathed in heavily. They were all winded, and he had a few minimal wounds as well. The training had only lasted about four hours, but they had trained well. Eizan doubted that the other teams had gotten the same rough treatment besides Gaara's team.

After glaring at him a moment, Eizan nodded and straightened before dropping the seal. He told them that they'd meet tomorrow and every night, and it was up to them how to train for it. It was clear that he wouldn't train them but test and attack them to see if they were keeping up. This was more of a battle, and he would most likely increase his level of attacks as time ran down as he had done tonight.

When he left she had taken out some bandages and thrown them at Amane and Iwane before turning away. "Tomorrow at first light," she told and then strolled away. As she had walked off she folded her arms behind her head and turned casually around the corner in the direction that would lead to her house. It would be empty.

As she finally arrived, she unlocked and opened the door and stepped inside. The entire house was silent and dark. As she closed and locked the door, she finally collapsed before it with a groan. She had taken too many attacks meant for the others and had strained her chakra with that last attack, but Eizan had refused to show weakness in front of any of them.

She rested the side of her face against the uncomfortably cool wooden floor. Before she closed her eyes, she saw a glint of light from the darkness. Her gaze shifted toward it as it reflected against her Suna hitai-ate.

A figure dressed in all black stepped out of the shadows, and in the dim light she was barely able to make out the hourglass like symbol on his headband. Eizan couldn't muster the strength to move as he approached her. His hand slipped into the pouch at his side as he stopped beside her.

Another assassin had come for her life but it looked like he'd be successful that night since there was no sign of the Anbu. He lifted the kunai in his hand as her eyes slid shut, and the last thing she saw was the moonlight glinting off the sharpened edge of his weapon as it descended toward her.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations: **  
1. **Seiza:** is the traditional and formal way of sitting in Japan. It is quite polite to sit in seiza style, where you kneel on the floor, resting your buttocks on your heels with the tops of your feet flat on the floor.  
2. **Dogeza:** dates back to when samurai served Japanese feudal lords, but it is still practiced today under extreme circumstances in which one begs for forgiveness or pleads for consent. The feet and legs are positioned as in seiza. However, unlike seiza, those performing dogeza bow deeply with their face down and hands to the side.  
3. **Harukaze:** spring wind  
4. **seals:** a bunch of hand movements that are named and represented after animals.  
5. **Katon, Housenka no Jutsu:** Fire Release, Mythical Fire Flower Technique  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**_End Chapter Three_**


	5. Terror on the Playground

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**A/N: **Again, I noticed the mistakes after I was reviewing it. Sorry but they were nagging the hell outta me and had to repost it! Also, forgive the slow updates but rewriting the chapters and writing the sequel at the same time so it gets a bit tricky to do both at the same time. I won't say anything about the sequel except that it's called _"Glimpses of Darkness"_. That's all! For those that haven't read this yet, enjoy the chapter!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Four: Terror on the Playground**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan could almost feel herself floating just on the edge of consciousness, but something wanted to pull her back under. It clawed at her mind and body, and she felt a weariness and deep sadness surrounding her heart. For a moment she almost went back under as all hope left her and she lay in a sea of overwhelming despair. _'There's nothing to return to. Everything is empty.'_

Then, just on the corner of her mind, she felt hands lifting her. The touch was gentle and she was filled with warmth that flooded her heart and soul, and the darkness that had been threatening to consume her faded away. She continued to feel the hands move over her in the same manner and she almost thought it was her mother, since she had dressed her in the same way when she had been younger.

When she finally opened her eyes it was dark, and a beam of moonlight cut across her body. She was under the covers of her bed in her room. It had been a long time since she had lain in here since the house was always empty and dark, and she preferred to sleep in the small living room or in the hall. Besides, the assassins always checked this room first.

Someone was beside her bed, sitting perfectly still but she didn't feel any fear or panic that she did when the assassins had first come for her life. After the first few times, she come to expect them and managed to hold them off before the Anbu saved her. In the dim light, she was able to see the outline of the gourd and knew that it was Gaara.

Eizan was confused to see him sitting there with his eyes closed and arms crossed in front of his chest. It was the first time that he had been in her house since he had given her the ointment all those years ago. She didn't understand for a second why he was here and then wondered where the ninja was that had been here to kill her after she had passed out from exhaustion.

Everything clicked into place and knew that Gaara had killed him before he had been able to murder her, but she didn't know how he had known. Her bangs fell into her eyes since her hitai-ate was missing, but she ignored that fact and stared up at the red haired ninja as he sat there. A lot of things were running through her mind, and she had been staring so intently at him that she didn't notice that his eyes had opened until he spoke.

His cold, quiet voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Why didn't you tell me about the assassins?" His tone sounded angry, and if she hadn't been startled before, she was now. She tried to sit up as a groan escaping her lips, but she felt a hand against her shoulder forcing her down. "Stay down."

She turned her eyes toward the Sand ninja, but she lowered them from his hardened turquoise orbs. Eizan had known that he'd be upset that she hadn't told him but she had done it anyway. Now she quietly told him everything, including the part about the Anbu. When she was finished, she sighed quietly. "Gomen, I just didn't want to bother you with my petty problems, Gaara-dono," she muttered.

One of her bandaged hands was gripping the sheet tightly. That's when she noticed that her wounds had been treated and dressed, and she was wearing a pair of clean clothes. For reasons she didn't understand at the time, her face flushed red with embarrassment. There was no one else in the room but Gaara and so that meant that he had treated her wounds, and had to undress her and change her bloodied, dirty clothing.

Gaara stood and her gaze flicked toward him in alarm and she almost expected him to strike her down for having kept this information from him. He only moved to the window and stood there as the moonlight spilled over his figure. It illuminated his body and facial features in such a way that he appeared like a phantom. He looked dangerous, yet at the same time didn't.

"I had noticed that when they came while I was with you there were always two," he spoke quietly, but his tone wasn't harsh. Her eyes widened and she understood how he'd found out. When he was alone there must have only been one.

Eizan turned her gaze from his, and realized that if he'd been able to stop the ninja from killing her then he must have been watching the house tonight. If that were the case, she wondered how many times he'd done it.

"I am sorry, Gaara-dono," she whispered. She never wanted to disappoint or fail him, and at times she did it without meaning to or realizing it. Still, she wanted to continue to remain at his side but that meant that she'd only ever be his subordinate, his servant. It hurt, but she'd continue to bare it.

She slowly sat up with only a wince to show that the effort pained her. Her hands were clasped in her lap as she spoke quietly. "I will try harder to please you in the future."

Her eyes lifted when he didn't say anything and his gaze was still riveted on something outside of the window. His turquoise orbs were distant, and he was lost in thought for several moments. It looked like he hadn't heard her but she didn't speak again, since she had rarely seen him like this. His stare wasn't completely dead during those times.

After a moment, he turned to look at her and his lips lifted slightly in what could have been a smile but it was too dark for her to tell. "I know you will," he finally spoke.

His voice had been the emotionless drone once again but she had seen the kindness in his eyes. The scarlet strands of his bangs fell over his gaze so he was peering through them as the moon shielded parts of his face in shadow.

Eizan felt her heart skip a beat as she peered up at him and she felt her face flush once again before she lowered her gaze. She nodded and her own long bangs came to fall into her eyes, since her hitai-ate had been removed.

She couldn't stop the smile that graced her features. "Hai, Gaara-dono," she muttered quietly. That night was one of discovery and it caused her heart to race and joy to fill her entire being. She knew, however, that it wouldn't last and would ultimately lead to more suffering. Despair filled her heart as she lay awake that night.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A year passed by and her day began with her morning report to the red head and then ended with the day's report at night. If she were away on a mission she'd seek him out first and send one of the girls to report to the Kazekage. She'd rather jump off a cliff than speak to that man.

At sunset they would train with Enoki and she had told the man that she didn't train to serve the Kazekage, only Gaara. To her, he had become more important. She served only Sabaku no Gaara.

Then there were Amane and Iwane, who had become quite loyal to her. They defied their families' wishes for them to break off contact with her, and for that Eizan grew to trust them. Especially when they were cut off financially and they hadn't even batted an eye.

Half a year after becoming a cell, they had sworn to follow her to whatever ends. They'd even gotten their names changed to their chosen ones, so that they'd only be viewed as shinobi and tools that killed and wrought destruction. However, it seemed that they hadn't taken to Gaara in quite the same way.

Today after the end of their day's training they had questioned her loyalty toward the red headed shinobi.

"He's always cold and barely speaks to you, so why are you so faithful to him?" asked Amane. She had been the first to tell Eizan in no uncertain terms that she'd follow her to death if it were necessary. Iwane had laughed and then added her two cents, to say that even hell wouldn't keep them apart.

She had been walking off as Amane had spoken and she'd stopped, but she hadn't turned to face them. Silence had been the only response for a while, and she pondered her answer or if she'd even give them one. The girls hadn't spoken or moved, and now Eizan turned her face toward the already darkening heavens above.

It was late afternoon and the sun had started to set in the west. The sky had been painted in blends of orange, pink and purple in a breath-taking array. "Because his will is my only purpose in life," she had muttered. The wind picked up the ends of her short hair and seemed to carry her words with it, so they almost missed them.

Amane's wire mesh shirt revealed the kanji for death that had been tattooed on her right bicep. Over that she wore a sleeves black shirt and the same gray pants with her left knee bandaged. The fading sunlight reflected off her Suna hitai-ate at her forehead and the sheaths secured at her right thigh.

Iwane stood besides her and donned a white shirt with only one black sleeve, so the same kanji for death showed at her right bicep. Her black pants were secured with bandages around the waist and the holsters at her left thigh, but now her headband was at her right thigh facing away from her body. Under her clothes she wore the same chain mail shirt and vest that Eizan wore for protection, just like Amane had the wire mesh shirt.

Eizan had tattooed the symbols on their flesh and it represented their loyalty that could only be broken by death. She'd had the same kanji permanently printed into her skin at the nape of her neck, since she'd grown to truth them with her life.

She still wore the same clothing but while her sleeves were still fishnet, it was now black and had the kanji symbols for death and love inked in white on the back. They rotated around one another like the ying and yang sign.

Her complete trust in Gaara hadn't faltered, but it grew harder every day to deny her feelings. His eyes continued to grow cold and lifeless and after every assassination attempt he grew more hateful and reserved. It got to a point where even she couldn't read or understand him.

Eizan wanted to experience his pain and suffering as her own, but found it impossible. There was a part of him that she couldn't reach. A side that had died the day Yashamaru had betrayed him. That more than anything caused her sadness and she began to realize that while she served him, she was still alone. He was still alone.

It was his heart she was trying to reach, but even he had denied having one long ago. _'So, how can I ever to touch that part of him?'_ And this is what she wanted to say to Amane and Iwane now, but the words would not come.

Instead, she turned her gaze on them and smiled for the first time since they'd met. They were stunned, but they saw the sadness that lingered even in that smile. The tortured soul behind her eyes that always remained just on the surface of her reserved expression.

"I'll remain by his side until death." She turned away again and started to walk toward that night's training ground. She said nothing more on the subject, but they'd seen it as clear as day. They didn't know how long it had been, but Eizan, who had seemed as cold as the one she served, had undoubtedly fallen in love with Sabaku no Gaara.

After a slight hesitation, the two girls hurried after their unofficial leader, and the one they had pledged their lives to. Just as Eizan would give her life for Gaara, Amane and Iwane would sacrifice theirs for her.

Their destinies had been intertwined from the very beginning and they'd only recently realized it. Gaara would decide the future that awaited them in the end.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was nearing the twelfth summer of her youth when Enoki informed them that they would be taking part in that year's Chunin Exam. Participating in the exam might ensure that they would advance from their rank as Genin to the next level. It was a test that took place twice each year and this time it would be held in Konohagakure.

Her two teammates were prone to the idea. Iwane had grinned and said it seemed like a good idea, and Amane smirked slightly but gave no comment. Eizan, however, wondered why the sudden interest in it. It had been quite clear before that Enoki didn't care about them becoming Chunin. The fire user had suspected that he would have preferred for her to stay a Genin forever, just like everyone else within the village.

Eizan crossed her arms over her chest as she grunted in disdain, and glanced away as their attention was directed at her. "I don't see a point in participating," she muttered. She wouldn't admit it, but the chance to return to Konoha and fight against a strong opponent was rather tempting. But she'd never been one to reveal her thoughts in front of her instructor.

Also, if she became a Chunin then she'd be equal to a military captain and thus command a squadron of ninja. They had gone on a few missions without Enoki if he was unavailable, but had been accompanied by a Chunin. All the missions had been either D or C rank missions.

Eizan didn't want to lead a team of ninja that hated her and vice versa, but the idea of being able to finally be in Gaara's group was what she wanted. Then again that same reason made her not want to become a Chunin as well.

Enoki frowned as he studied her seemingly impassive face and stood as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You have no choice in the matter. The Kazekage has ordered that this team participate in it," he said. The tone of voice he used indicated that he'd accept no arguments.

Eizan's gaze turned toward him and he actually saw the questioning look in them. He smirked. "Of course, there will also be other teams going along, including the one with Sabaku no Gaara." Now her eyes narrowed but she said nothing and only turned away again. His smirk widened as he clapped his hands together. "Very well then, if there are no more objections, let us begin the training for tonight."

**  
**She'd realized later on that the red head was the leverage used to get her to the Chunin Exam. After all, where Gaara went she was sure to follow. She dismissed it, but as Enoki lead them off to train her eyes narrowed on his back.

It was strange that the man had nominated them to take part of the Chunin Exam. She knew from her brother's memory, that to participate the Jonin instructors had to inform the Kazekage that they were ready to become Chunin.

Something strange was going on; since there was no way he'd ever nominate them. For now, she'd go along with it because Gaara was going and she'd be right at his side.**  
**

When training ended that night it found Eizan walking alone. Many times she had immediately gone home but her feet did not lead her back to her empty house. Instead she came to stop on the outskirts of the playground where she had first interacted with Gaara.

She had come to stop in almost the same place she had been all those years ago and her dark eyes perused the abandoned terrain. If she concentrated she would be able to see the children playing and the lone red headed figure sitting on the swing with one arm secured around a teddy bear. In those times that stuffed animal had become his only companion but it had been discarded along with his innocence.

She felt a pinprick of chakra as she frowned and her right hand extracted three shuriken with ease before flinging them into the darkness. The sound of them being deflected reached her ears before a figure stepped from out of the shadows. It was clearly a ninja but she saw neither his hitai-ate nor clothing since there was a cloak covering most of his body and face. She knew that he had to be shinobi since he had deflected the shuriken so easily.

Eizan turned and let one of her hands rest at her hip as she let her eyes travel over the taller figure, not really sure if it was a man or a woman. "I thought the old man had finally given up after all those years of never succeeding in killing me," she said with a slight smirk. She was calm even if she was facing the ninja alone since again there was no sign of the ANBU member. He wouldn't be there every time and she had started to realize that she couldn't expect to rely on him when she had no idea who he was.

The other held out his hands in front of himself to show that he didn't wish to fight her. It confused her but she didn't let her guard down since it might be a trick. However, she had realized that he hadn't attacked her right away as the other assassins had done and she wondered who he was. "I assure you, I mean you no harm," the shinobi spoke and by the voice, she could tell it was a male.

A frown twisted her features and she placed a hand on her pouch when he tried to approach and he stopped. She could barely hear the chuckle that left his lips. "It seems that the Kazekage has been foolish when dealing with someone of your abilities." Moving, the man grasped his hands behind him before turning to look over the playground. "Tell me, how many times has he sent for your life?" he asked and she could hear the amusement in the tone.

Her lips pulled back in a sneer before she turned away and started to walk off. "I'm not listening to this," she muttered under her breath and headed for home. There was something about this man that didn't sit well with her, and not to mention that she felt a chill the first time he had spoken. His voice had a discernable viper-like quality about it.

She froze a moment later as his voice came again but this time right besides her ear. Her eyes were wide with shock since she hadn't even heard him move. "If you join me, I assure you that all those pesky problems will wash away," he hissed. The feeling of something slimy and warm came to brush against the back of her neck. She made a noise of disgust before stumbling forward and whirling around to face him.

There was no sign of him as her eyes flicked over the rapidly darkening playground. One of her hands was quickly wiping away the sticky substance that had been left against her skin. His voice came again but she wasn't able to pinpoint where it was coming from. "No one will ever be able to understand you here. Join me and your talents will be acknowledged."

Again she felt his presence behind her, and for the first time, fear stilled her movements. The feel of his fingers came at her neck and throat and out of the corner of her eyes she saw his hands. His skin was a sickly pallor and it looked like death had already claimed it.

Eizan opened her mouth but no sound came as the fear clouded her mind. His speed had been unlike anything she had seen. Her blood was pumping loudly within her ears as her heartbeat accelerated. For several long moments she could only listen to his words and didn't refuse him.

A face floated before her eyes suddenly and it seemed to snap her out of it. She smacked his hands away and brought her right leg up as she twisted her upper body down. Her foot connected against the side of his neck and when he stumbled back she flipped forward and turned before landing in a crouch. She let her eyes lock on his face as they narrowed in anger.

"I only serve one person," she growled as she stood, hands gripped at her sides until her knuckles turned white. "And that is not the Kazekage!" Turning, she ran off as fast as her legs would carry her, almost afraid that he would follow her.

However, the figure did not follow and merely watched as she ran off. The wind picked up and blew the hood away from his face, and his sickly white features came into view. His long ebony locks floated with the wind and some came to obscure his face as he watched her figure fade into the darkness.

A smirk stretched across his lips as his viper eyes narrowed. "We will see what happens in the end," he said with a low chuckle before he was gone.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She returned to the house and felt a presence within, but she only fell to one knee as she bowed her head. "Gaara-dono," she muttered quietly. The scarlet haired shinobi walked out of the shadows of the small hall that lead into the kitchen. He stopped until he was looming over her kneeled figure.

"Where have you been?" he asked. His voice was colder than usual so she could tell he was upset. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands at her sides. After every training session she always reported to him. In the beginning it had just been her insistence to do this and he had always accepted it without too much interest. Lately, though, he had started to take more notice when she was late.

"Forgive me, Gaara-dono," she muttered as she remained where she was, having shifted onto both of her knees before him. "Training ran late." She didn't normally lie to him. In fact, this was the first time she had lied as her nails dug painfully into her palms, but she spread them on the ground before her to keep from drawing blood.

"It will not happen again." The thought of telling him what had happened filled her with disgust. That she had frozen in fear in the face of that unknown ninja. She couldn't bring herself to tell him about how weak she had been.

He moved forward, stepping too close to her so she lifted her gaze. Moments later she would feel his foot come to rest against her hand. The heel of it ground the fingers into the floor beneath her as she cried out. When she went to pull away, the same foot lifted to connect with the side of her face. The impact knocked her to her side and then she felt him kick her on her side. "Why do you lie to me?" he asked her calmly over her exclamations of pain.

His foot descended on her neck and cut off her oxygen. All she could do was grab his foot as her mouth parted in a desperate attempt to take in air as her body withered on the floor. He had never punished her this way before. The last time he had struck her was when she had carved the kanji sign for love into her flesh, but never this.

As her sight started to blacken around the edges, he removed his foot as she gasped in air greedily, almost choking in the process. A coughing fit seized her as she felt tears spilling over her cheeks. The other pain she felt was worse, the one she felt within her chest. Even then she slowly rose to her knees and bowed her head low to the floor in dogeza.

He had told her never to take that position but she knew that this time it was necessary. "Onegai, forgive me," she whispered fiercely, coughing so a strand of bloodied saliva escaped her mouth. When he had kicked her against the face he had busted open her mouth. A bruise was already starting to quickly form against her pale cheek. She was only grateful that his kick at her side hadn't broken her ribs. "I know my life is expendable, but please allow me to remain by your side."

He turned and moved away as she heard the shifting of his sand. She had not noticed it earlier since the sound was always surrounding him that it had become second nature to dismiss it. However, now she heard it closer and moments later she felt it brushing against her ankles.

It started to spread over her legs, her thighs and over her entire body. With it, came a cold terror that seemed worse than the kind she had experienced in the playground. He had changed so much over the last few years and she knew that it was part of him, but even so she still felt that pain in her chest every time she looked his way. Her heart ached at the sight of him.

The sand was sliding over her chest and her throat as she moved her head back instinctively. She had her eyes open wide, staring at his figure as he remained turned away from her. Just before it closed over her face, she closed her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. "I was scared," she whispered and then the darkness consumed her.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1. **Sabaku no Gaara:** _lit._ "Gaara of the Sand Waterfall"; or Gaara of the Desert in English manga.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**_End Chapter Four_**


	6. A Mission

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Five: A Mission**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

He flinched when her words reached his ears. The sand had completely covered her, and his intention was to let her suffocate buried within it. He had turned away as he had done this, not sure why.

Every time he had killed he had always watched and thus confirmed his existence. The thought that she might attack him never even crossed his mind. He wondered when he had grown to trust her so much that he was actually confident that she would never attack him even when he was trying to end her life.

He hesitated when he let himself think of her more. Gaara knew that she was about to suffocate but still couldn't convince himself to turn around. The thought that he actually cared enough about her that he didn't wish to see her die left him confused.

His lips pulled back to reveal his teeth as slight growl left his throat before he shook his head. It wasn't a possibility for that to have happened. He refused to even think of such a ridiculous thing, but even then, he couldn't turn! Even knowing that it would confirm that he was alive, and fulfill his purpose in more ways than one since she had been there since the beginning. He couldn't look.

Gaara closed his eyes and brought a hand to his head as he felt a sharp pain develop just behind his eyes. He gritted his teeth and his slender fingers passed through his short scarlet locks before grabbing them in an effort to dispel these thoughts.

All he had was loneliness, and this cold, harsh reality that there was nothing for him. That he was to be unloved, unafraid and his only purpose was to end life.

_'I was scared.'_ Her words teased and tortured his mind. He quickly flung his arm out in front of him as if to dispel them and turned.

The sand that had imprisoned and lifted her up, fell away. He watched her limp body fall and land with a thud, and her arms and legs were stretched away from her slender form. When he approached, he looked down at her with cold eyes, but almost felt his heart stop when he didn't see her chest lifting with her breath.

Gaara's mouth fell open and he might have gasped before he was on his knees before her. Lifting a hand, he placed it over one of her cheeks and saw the bits of sand clinging to her face, which meant that she had shed tears.

He frowned angrily at himself, and brushed the sand away. He slipped a hand under her neck and lifted her head as the other one wrapped around her waist to pull her closer. He lowered his face close to hers, and listened intently as his heart beat accelerated.

Her lips were so close to his own, so he felt her warm breath caress his face when she finally breathed in and out. For an instant he was a tempted to lean forward, and it was confusing since he hadn't felt that way before.

Gaara let one of his hands move over her pale throat and he tried to will himself to let his fingers tighten and end her life. He couldn't do it. The thought of her fading from this world caused a pain to manifest within his chest. It was the same pain he had felt in his heart that night he had spoken to Yashamaru before he tried to kill him. He felt it every time the thought of her leaving crossed his mind.

The red head frowned as he looked down at her. His left arm was still wrapped around her waist and the right holding her head off the floor so her face was close. Her features were paler than usual and he had noticed that her lips had started to turn blue when the sand had released her. Luckily, now they were returning to their normal hue.

His eyes watched her mouth, seeing that the color of her lips was not like his. They were a bit pinker and looked softer. Gaara lifted his left hand after he had puller her smaller body more into his lap, and let the tips of his finger brush over her lips. He could feel the texture of them and realized that he had been right about them being softer.

Before he realized what he was doing, he was leaning down as he held his breath. He was almost afraid that she'd fade away, and a moment later his mouth pressed against her lips. He closed his eyes as he let himself become lost in the feel of her against him.

He was abruptly brought back to reality as he felt a sharp pain go through his head and he pulled away from her. A groan escaped his mouth as he gripped his head with one hand. The pounding agony moved from his head and slid down his neck as he tried not to scream.

The Suna no Yoroi started to crack and dissolve on its own as he started to lose control of his chakra and the biju sealed within. Shukaku threatened to consume him as he tried to break free. He could feel him pounding against his sub-consciousness, and he closed his eyes and tried to force him back. Gaara didn't know what would happen if he escaped now.

When he'd lost control the last time Shukaku had destroyed Eizan's house, and had also injured her severely. He was sure that if the Incarnate of Sand escaped it might end up killing her this time around. For some reason, that filled him with a cold dread.

Gaara quickly pushed her off his lap as she landed at his feet as he stood, and he stumbled out the door. Once he had closed it behind him he collapsed on his knees, lifted his face to the sky and screamed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When the darkness had started to subside around her she felt something pressing against her lips. Her heart skipped a beat before speeding up, and a few moments later the warmth left her. She woke up on the cold floor as a moan left her lips. She sat up and wondered if she had just heard the door slam. A scream that made her shiver shattered the silence.

She was on her feet a split second later and beside the red haired shinobi the next. "Gaara-dono!" she exclaimed as she saw him collapsed on his knees, hands gripping his hair as he continued to scream in agony.

His gourd had started to melt into sand and swirl around his body, and Eizan was worried when she saw that his skin had started to change already. She quickly grabbed and forcibly shoved him against the ground. He went easy, as she knew he would and she straddled his hips. Her hands flashed through seals quickly and then placed them over the nexus of the seal that kept the Shukaku inside of him.

_'Fuuin!'_ Her hands glowed crimson as she concentrated on driving the demon back. She felt his changed chakra raging against her but she redoubled her efforts until she felt the biju retreating.

Eizan gritted her teeth as she felt the jutsu drain her chakra considerably. She knew that it would but she had no choice but to use the technique that she had learned from Chiyo-san, even if it left her powerless.

She didn't have the necessary training and experience to perform the jutsu so she used a massive amount of her chakra. Also, it was because of this that the jutsu was only a temporary strengthening which allowed Gaara to regain control.

After a few moments her hands ceased to glow and she fell off him. She landed on the ground with a moan, and she only had the remaining strength to shift her body until she was parallel to him. Her gaze stared up into the darkened heavens above and the stars sprinkled across its black surface.

She thought back to the first time she had used the jutsu and that the sand hadn't attacked her or risen up to defend Gaara, since she needed to grab a hold of him. Eizan wondered if that meant that the red head trusted her even if he had never voiced it. The thought was comforting to her.

Her hand lifted and reached out toward him. The sand lifted up but it merely caressed her fingertips. It meant that his shield was back to normal and would protect him until he regained consciousness. A smile crossed her face before her vision went black.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan didn't know how long she'd been out when she woke up, but she realized that she was lying in her bed. Her eyes searched the room and found Gaara standing by the window. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were hidden by his bangs but the rest of his face was expressionless. The had also reformed on his back once more.

She lifted herself to a sitting position, and he turned to look at her. While she couldn't see his eyes she knew they were fixed on her face and it almost caused her to shiver.

"Get some rest," he said tonelessly before disappearing within his sand. He hadn't said it but she knew that he forgave her deception because after all, she was still alive.

She moved her hands over her face as she sighed and let herself drop back to a prone position. On any other night she'd have moved to a more secure room because of the assassins. However, she had noticed something that made her stay where she was. The assassins that always came regardless of her training, missions of time of day, hadn't come for some time now. That also meant that she hadn't seen the ANBU member for a while.

Then the unexpected announcement that they'd be participating in the Chunin Exam so close to the ceased assassination attempts made her think that they were tied. If the Kazekage had ordered their team to participate in the exam then he wouldn't send anyone to take her life, and Eizan wanted to know why.

She shifted to a more comfortable position and pulled the covers over her head. Her body was curled up as she closed her eyes and sighed. Eizan had already noticed that her clothes had been changed once again and that there was a clean bandage on her face where Gaara's foot had struck her. He had removed her Suna hitai-ate and placed it on the small night stand besides her bed.

Her room was very plain with a dresser where her clothes were stored, a western style bed, and the nightstand with a picture frame resting on it. The photo was of a younger her climbing from her brother's lap up to his shoulders as he laughed, and their parents behind them looking down with matching smiles. It was old and faded, since years back she had shed many tears over it.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The three kunoichi were training on their own the next day when they heard the sounds of exploding notes going off from the building that the Kazekage normally resided in. They also felt large surges of chakra from the same direction.

Eizan headed in that direction to find out what was happening as her teammates followed her. She knew that if Gaara's team was near then he would head there as well. Most likely he would go with the prospect of taking a life and confirming his existence.

When they arrived it was to see a few dead Suna-nin surrounding the Kazekage's building, and the signs of exploding notes going off. Also, there were several kunai and shuriken sticking out of the ground surrounding the building and the structure itself.

A frown twisted her features as she let her gaze pass over the areas as she wondered what had happened. She already had a pretty good idea of what had happened within this area but not who the perpetrators had been.

She was distracted from her momentary observation of the terrain when she saw Gaara arrive with Kankurou and Temari in tow. As he came to stop she appeared kneeling at his side and startled the two older ninja, but Gaara didn't even look at her.

"Two enemies attacked," she muttered when he gave a slight nod. She inclined her head to the side to indicate the ground just a bit away from the craters. There were signs that two people had come from that direction, which led to a road that had a direct path to the Kazekage tower.

"It's possible that they knew the village, and how to get out and where the Kazekage was located," she reported. Out of the corner of her eye she could saw Temari and Kankurou trying to figure out how she had come up with this. It was easy to see that they had rushed in by the length of their strides, and there was no hesitation so that meant they knew where they were going.

The scarlet haired shinobi nodded before moving forward and she stood and was gone again, appearing besides her teammates now. "Separate and look for anyone that looks suspicious or that is injured," she told the two girls.

"Hai!" they both said and then they were moving to do as they were told.

Amane and Iwane had gone from the sides of the tower and Eizan entered through the front. Her eyes moved over everything as she tried to gouge how far the shinobi had gotten. It was clear that they had to be ninja of extremely high rank to have gotten so far into Suna.

She lifted her gaze as she saw a couple of Jonin hurry around the corner, and she was almost surprised to see relief on their faces when they caught sight of her. A frown twisted her face once again as she shook her head and continued to move on down the hall.

"Eizan-san," one of them called out to her and she paused just as she had been about to turn the corner. She realized that they had used her brother's adopted name. If they had called her by her given name she would have kept going and ignored them.

"The assassins were after Kazekage-sama's life but failed. They fled when confronted by several enemies," the one on the right informed her.

She had seen both of them before. The one that had spoken had short, spiky black hair and wore bandages on the lower part of his face. He was wearing the regular shinobi clothes, and his hitai-ate wrapped around his forehead.

The other one was wearing almost the same thing, and he had long brown hair pulled back in two short ponytails that reached his shoulders. His hitai-ate was at his forehead, but it was twisted so the symbol faced his left side.

They became uneasy after a moment when she didn't speak or expressed any type of emotion to the attempt on Kazekage's life. Her eyes bore into them since she had turned when they started to speak.

Now, her eyes narrowed and they found themselves stepping back. "It's a pity they failed." She turned away and walked a few steps before stopping once again. "Did you at least manage to see who the assailants were?"

They were slightly stunned by her words, but the second one spoke up now. "Hai, they were Suna Nukenin and fled in the direction of the western training grounds." He hesitated before finishing up what he was going to say. "Four Oinin are on missions and the fifth has been sent after them but Kazekage has ordered that you, along with Gaara-san go after them as well. He said that this is an A-rank mission."

A grin spread over her features as she heard this and chuckled. The sound was crazed and malicious, and once again the Jonin instinctively stepped back. "Tell the old man I accept, but not to think that I'm doing this to protect his pathetic life," she muttered.

She flashed through seals and disappeared in a swirl of fire. The two shinobi stared at the place she had been standing a moment before. They were convinced that the stories of her being a demon born of fire were true.

Eizan appeared kneeling besides Gaara and the boy stopped, but didn't glance down at her. He waited for her to report what she had found out. "They were Suna Nukenin and after the Kazekage, but unfortunately failed to kill him. He has ordered that I accompany you in seeking the assassins' lives. They have retreated to the western training grounds and are being pursued by a single Oinin," she reported. She ignored his team mates as they listened quietly, but had enough common sense not to interrupt them.

He nodded and started to walk off in the direction of the western training grounds without another word. After a moment, she hurried after him before they started to pick up speed. His siblings were left behind to wonder what they were to do next.

Meanwhile, Amane and Iwane had seen her go off and knew to follow the last order given. They continued to look for anyone injured, since it was obvious Eizan and Gaara had gone after the attackers.

They quickly arrived at the training ground and moved behind the lone Oinin that was crouched down. Gaara didn't bother to take cover since his sand would protect him, and Eizan stood by his side. She briefly glanced down at the Oinin as he also turned to look at them.

He was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with the sleeves tucked into matching gloves that had a thin metal plate over the knuckles. Over the shirt was a beige armored vest that had compartments to store weapons, but that didn't restrict movements. He wore black pants secured at the ankles by shin guards, and he donned the black issue sandals that had minor modifications on the soles to allow him to walk more easily over sand without having to use charka.

There was a white porcelain mask that hid his features with the Suna symbol etched into the right cheek, and the kanji for _'Harukaze'_ on the forehead. Eizan froze as she recognized the designs on the mask that represented his namesake. It had been a while since she'd last seen the Anbu member but it was definitely him, and she noticed that his brown hair had grown longer. _'So, he became Oinin.'_

Eizan knew that meant that his name would never come out in mission reports and only in death would his existence ever be acknowledge. She also knew that many times when a ninja became a Hunter they discarded their names and families. _'Is that why he never came back?'_ She frowned a moment later. _'Baka, he was never your family,' _she snapped at herself.

Gaara's sand rose up to stop several kunai and shuriken thrown in their direction. His features tightened and then he glanced briefly in her direction.

Eizan tensed and nodded. "Hai, Gaara-dono," she muttered. He clearly had deemed that their lives weren't good enough to confirm his existence, so it was up to her to dispose of them. She glanced quickly at the Hunter and then jumped forward.

The red head watched the Oinin follow his subordinate a moment later. His eyes narrowed before he formed seals for his third eye.

Eizan was blocking kunai thrown at her when the older ninja appeared at her side. "I don't need any help," she growled. She lifted her hand as a fire ball shot toward her but it changed direction and hit a nearby cliff face.

"Too bad," he responded in a muffled voice. He formed seals for the _'__Kaze no Yaiba'_ and the blade of wind ripped through the ground and slammed into one of the enemy shinobi as he yelled in pain.

She frowned and looked at the Hunter and could almost swear he was gloating underneath that mask. Eizan clenched her teeth and quickly bit her thumb and smeared her blood over her right palm before she formed seals of her own.

_'__Jigoku__ no Yaiba.' _She lifted her hand and flung it forward. The same type of blade tore through the ground but this one was made of fire. It hit the remaining Nukenin and ravaged his flesh for several long minutes as his screams of agony filled the air.

Eizan and the Oinin's gazes locked over the distance, and she turned away when the former Suna ninja's cries died away. "I don't need your sympathy anymore," she said and walked to the remains of the shinobi. She pulled off the burned and scorched hitai-ate from the remains and saw that there was a line through it.

She turned and walked back toward Gaara's side and only glanced at Harukaze once more. "Gaara-dono, it is done," she reported as she showed him the single ruined headband. He nodded and turned to glare at the Oinin as he approached and then moved away.

Eizan looked at the shinobi hunter as well. His face was hidden from her eyes but she saw his body poised defensively as she smirked. "Mission complete," she said and threw the hitai-ate at the ninja's feet before she turned to follow after Gaara.

The Oinin watched her until she was out of sight. He tilted his head backwards and arched his neck until the back of his head almost met his shoulders. A sigh left his lips as he closed his obscured eyes. "What have I let you become?" he muttered. He retrieved both hitai-ate, disposed of the remains and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The sun had already started to set when Gaara and Eizan were back at Kazekage Dairi (?). She bowed and excused herself, and retreated to search for her teammates when he nodded.

Amane and Iwane appeared when Gaara had left and they reported that the injured had been taken to the hospital, and there had only been four deaths and none of them being civilians. Eizan nodded and went to leave but something stopped her. She turned her gaze toward the Kazekage tower and she felt something chill her blood, but she quickly dismissed it.

"Time to train with Kazuyoshi-san," she muttered with a sigh. Even if she disliked the man her parents had taught her the concept of formality. She wasn't very familiar with anyone but Gaara and her teammates. However, the term she used for the red head was more for respect.

The girls didn't ask how it had gone since they knew that the enemy wouldn't have stood a chance against both the red head and Eizan. At first they had thought the girl to be hardened after all the years of hatred from the village as Gaara had become, but they had been mistaken. The Ashikaga girl hadn't done her first kill until one of their missions with Enoki. She had tried to hide it at the time but she had been shaken by the experience.

It was another reason that they had become extremely protective of the younger girl. She always seemed like such a strong person but she was more fragile then she seemed. They had seen that proof every time her eyes landed on Gaara and an expression of pain crossed her face momentarily before becoming neutral once more.

Enoki was waiting for them and they immediately noticed that he was injured. He had most likely been one of the ninja defending the Kazekage. A slight frown tightened Eizan's features since it was a disturbing sight for someone as strong as him to be injured. The fire wielder refused to think that she was worried for his health since the man hated her.

_'Why should I care about any one of them?'_ she asked herself. However, she knew that she was too compassionate to ever really hate anyone within this village. They may hate and try to kill her, but she couldn't cement her heart in stone as Gaara had done. It just made her sad.

She knew that the Chunin Exam was approaching but the Jonin cancelled their training for that night. Lately, however, she had noticed that he had started to show them more jutsu then when they had just started. Also, he wasn't completely hostile as he'd once been toward her. The Ashikaga wondered if perhaps he had simply resigned himself to having her on his team.

Also, Eizan wasn't too proud to admit that he was the main reason she had been able to develop _'Jigoku no Yaiba'_. It came in handy to be able to train with someone with his skill level, since the other shinobi either ignored or steered clear of her.

The young girl glanced at her two teammates who in turned glanced back and she smirked and shrugged. She stuffed her hands into her pockets and headed back into Suna. "Food," she simply told them.

Iwane grinned and hurried after her as Amane shook her head and followed. Enoki watched them for a moment or two before he left. The Jonin and upper ninja had a meeting with the Kazekage to discuss the upcoming Chunin Exam. He knew what was intended for it and he couldn't deny that he was worried.

He understood that to survive it had to be done but he thought that the ninja were too young and might put the mission at risk. It'd certainly been an issue with the other Jonin but for an entirely different reason. Either way, tomorrow morning Gaara's team would be informed of the mission they would undertake while in Konoha.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan went with her team the next morning to get their passports since they'd be leaving for Konohagakure in a few days. While there was a peace treaty that existed between Kaze no Kuni and Hi no Kuni, it was also stated in that same treaty that the ninja of their village were not allowed to cross each others' borders without the proper authorization.

The short kunoichi was also paid for yesterday's mission, but she told them that the money should go to Gaara. They informed her, however, that he had already been here earlier that morning and had gotten paid as well.

She frowned but took the money as she walked out of the building with Amane and Iwane. The pay for the mission had been higher since it had been an A-rank mission and more dangerous, and not like her usual D and C rank ones.

Gaara's familiar chakra signal reached her senses nearby and she sent the girls off to train by themselves. She told them she'd meet them later and jumped off. It was in the playground that Eizan found the red head and the same one where she had met Gaara for the first time.

When she caught sight of the scarlet haired shinobi she noticed that he was standing before the swing he had been sitting in then. Eizan realized that she was also standing in the same place where she had done so all those years ago. The same place from where she had gazed at the lonely soul that mirrored her own.

For several moments she let her eyes sweep over him starting with his black sandals that matched his pants, and the black shirt with the ends of his sleeves a fishnet. She could see the brown leather strap, knowing it crossed from his left shoulder to his right hip, where his Suna hitai-ate hung, and which his gourd could be attached at his back.

Over that he wore a long white sash that draped across his chest from his right shoulder to left hip, and then wound around the slender section of the gourd. The sash would finally come to wrap once around his waist and hang down the front of his body.

She noticed that his red hair had gotten longer, and now touched his shoulders slightly since he hadn't allowed her to cut it as she had when they had been younger. It had that tousled look where it appeared like he hadn't brushed it and yet still looked good on him.

Eizan closed her eyes to envision his face and then turned around. She didn't wish to disturb him and thought it best to leave him alone.

"Eizan," she heard him call out as she had taken a few steps and she froze. It was the first time he had ever used her name, and he hadn't used her family name and had completely dropped the honorific.

She rubbed her hand against her flushed face and shook her head before moving in his direction. When she would have kneeled, he stopped her as he lifted his right hand. "Hai?" she inquired, finding this extremely strange behavior coming from him.

Gaara had been retreating more and more into himself these days and she feared for his sanity more than ever. She wondered if it had anything to do with the Chunin Exam. He turned to face her and she averted her eyes when she realized she'd be staring at him.

The red head meanwhile was observing her silently and he watched as she fidgeted slightly under his gaze. She had never done this before and it caused a frown to cross his face but it faded after a moment. "When we leave to Konoha in a few days we will carry out a mission," he began.

She lifted her face but he had already turned away. "No one in the village must know of it and you must not discuss this with anyone." His arms were crossed in front of his chest and as she watched, his fingers tightened until his nails were almost digging into the flesh. "You _will_ get to the third part of the exam, and do as you are told. Also, you are to find out who is strong from that village. Gather as much information on these individuals as possible."

Eizan was slightly surprised as she lifted her head to look at him but she only nodded. There was something strange going on and she suspected that this mission had a lot to do with it. "As you command, Gaara-dono," she replied.

Again she felt a chill pass through her body but ignored it for the moment. She had no idea that ignoring it might lead her into darkness and suffering.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:**  
1. **Fuuin:** a sealing method, Eizan used this to do a temporary sealing and keep Shukaku from emerging  
2. **Chiyo:** a Suna elder, was ordered by Kazekage to use a possession jutsu to seal the Shukaku into Gaara  
3. **Nukenin:** missing-nin or rouge ninja that have either betrayed or abandoned their villages  
4. **Oinin: **hunter-nin; shinobi hunters, they hunt and kill missing-nin and dispose of their remains to keep the villages jutsu out of enemy hands  
5.** Kaze no Yaiba: **_lit._ "Blade of Wind"  
6. **Jigoku**** no Yaiba: **_lit._ "Blade of Hell"  
7. **Kaze no Kuni:** Land of Wind  
8. **Hi no Kuni:** Land of Fire  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**_End Chapter Five_**


	7. Arriving in Konoha

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**A/N: **The story really starts to pick up speed here and you will start to learn more about the characters and how they will affect the story and the outcome. Also, (because I read it through 1010'jin's profile and who is the only one that has me on alert) I was suppose to update this story every week or two, but now it might be sooner than usual, depending on my schedule. Enjoy! (Dedicated to 1010'jin, who has an interesting profile; and AuraofaGirl, my sole reviewer) 

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Six: Arriving in Konoha**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The three girls peered up at the gates as they arrived at Konoha. Eizan frowned as they presented their travel papers to the guard and then were allowed to pass. Enoki had handed them over the applications they had filled out, and they'd be relayed to the Hokage's office.

They were barely given a second look from the Jonin standing guard but her eyes took him in completely, seeing that he was well armed even when he didn't look like he was. There was a Senbon needle dangling from his lips and anyone else might have confused it with a toothpick, not knowing that it was actually a weapon.

The man that was standing as guard at the gate today was Shiranui Genma. He was laid back and appeared almost lazy to one that didn't know him, but he was a very competent ninja and reliable to have in a battle.

Genma was still in his prime at 29 years of age and had the body of a ninja. His slightly long brown hair was hidden under his Konoha hitai-ate, which covered his whole head as the Leaf symbol faced the back.

He had attained the Jonin of rank at a reasonable age, but didn't have a Genin squad like many others with his rank. Today he was taking the place of the normal guard since the majority of the Chunin were on missions or at the Academy, and the Tokubetsu Jonin were busy taking care of last minute preparations for the Chunin Exam.

Since there would be a lot of teams coming from villages that could be hostile or pose a threat, security had been tightened. He was sure there was more than one Anbu squad patrolling the lands around the walls, since most of the Oinin were out on missions.

Genma felt eyes on him and turned to meet the gaze of one of the Suna Genin that he had just allowed to pass through the gates. The younger boy was staring at him and he was slightly taken back by his cold gaze. Also, his dark eyes were rimmed in a blood red color.

He had short, wild black hair and his Suna hitai-ate was twisted up at the left to keep his long bangs out of his eyes. He wore a black shirt with purple fishnet sleeves and black pants with the right knee bandaged. Genma was sure that he was very well armed, and he had two holsters on each thigh and his pouch at the center of his back. He wondered briefly if the youth was ambidextrous.

There were two boys on either side of the Genin, and Genma assumed that they were his teammates. They looked to be a year or two older than him, and were definitely taller than him by several inches.

The one on his right had dark brown hair pulled into a braid, and the Suna headband fastened at his forehead so his bangs fell slightly over ebony orbs. He wore a short sleeved shirt made of thin wire mesh underneath a sleeveless black shirt. This was accompanied by gray pants with the left knee bandaged, and his kunai and shuriken holsters attached at his right thigh.

The boy on his left had his shoulder length black hair pulled into a low ponytail, and he had emerald eyes with a strange light in them. He was wearing a white shirt that only had a black left sleeve. His black pants had the holsters at the left thigh and the sand hitai-ate secured on the right one facing away from his body.

Genma could tell that all three of them were very well armed even if they didn't appear to be. Besides, he had always heard that Suna-nin were fierce in battle even at the Genin level since their training methods were rather harsh.

The short haired boy narrowed his eyes at him before turning away and walking off, and he was soon followed by the other two. He was now able to see the back of their shirts and the boys on the sides had the kanji for death in the middle of their backs. The Genin in the middle not only had the same kanji tattooed to the nape of his neck, but it was also on the back of his shirt. It had both love and death rotating around one another.

Genma frowned and looked down at the chart where he had marked the two teams that had just passed. He was surprised when he saw that one of the teams had consisted of three kunoichi. He looked up at the team and studied them as they walked off and realized that they were indeed three young girls.

It was strange that he hadn't noticed that they were female since all three of them were attractive. Then again, the same could be said about some of the boys their age as well.

The Jonin had assumed that they were boys since most girls their age were distinctly female and some even wore make-up. These Suna-nin, however, had no such gunk covering their faces and donned extremely masculine clothing.

And another thing that was bugging him was the shorter of the three. He had sensed something from her and the red haired shinobi from the second team, and it was a powerful chakra that had caused a chill to go through him. His had a distinctive blood lust and hers had been like an inferno.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When they had lost sight of the gate Eizan turned toward Amane and Iwane, and motioned toward Temari and Kankurou. They nodded and followed the older ninja. She didn't want them to cause any trouble and knew that if there was any then either Amane or Iwane would come find her.

The red haired shinobi had separated from his siblings, and now she moved around a corner and disappeared within the crowd of people. She had seen the nod Gaara had sent her way and so she knew that she was to go and see if she noticed any strong ninja near by.

They had arrived seven days before the Exam would start but they would use that time to their advantage. It was nearing afternoon already and she was walking along when she saw an eagle fly overhead. Her eyes narrowed as she quickly riffled through the useful tidbits of memory that she had stored. An instant later she had it and knew that usually that type of eagle wasn't common in this area, and wondered if perhaps it was a signal like the Kazekage called the Jonin in Suna.

This country also had a Kage but theirs was known as a Hokage. She went through the information she had and knew that the current one was the Sandaime. Eizan wondered for a brief moment what kind of person the Hokage was and his relationship with the rest of the villagers. _'Is he like the Kazekage who sees his own son's life as an abomination?'_ Her hands clenched into fists at this thought and she wished for the thousandth time that she could kill the old man.

As she was exploring she passed a shop that served Ramen with the sign _'Ichiraku'_ over it. The Suna-nin wondered what the quality of their food was and made a mental note to return. She like ramen since it had been one of the main things that she had always eaten when she had been younger. During her childhood she hadn't had too much money and instant ramen had been the only thing she could afford on most days.

However, before her family's death she had enjoyed it. She had always seen her brother finish a cup of ramen in half a minute before he rushed off to a mission or training. During those times she had wanted to be just like Eizan and so she had mimicked him even when her mother became upset when all she'd want to eat was ramen.

Then she'd become a Genin and gone on missions, so she'd been able to afford to buy more than just ramen. Even so, it had always remained one of her preferred choices when deciding on a meal. It reminded her of her brother.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan had explored for maybe half an hour when she felt a familiar chakra signature approaching. Amane appeared beside her as she stopped a moment later. Her hands were stuffed into her pockets and she was clutching something in one of them. "Eizan-sama, Kankurou is causing a bit of trouble," Amane muttered.

The shorter girl frowned before sighing. She hopped onto the nearest rooftop and headed in the direction that the Itagaki indicated as she ran along beside her. "What's that fool done this time?" she asked. The taller ninja smirked and merely shrugged. Eizan sighed again.

She tilted her head to the side and changed directions. "Go ahead of me," she informed her and headed in the direction that she sensed Gaara's chakra. The wind user nodded and went off the way they had been going in. Eizan knew that the red head would want to know that his "dear brother" was causing trouble and hindering the plan.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kankurou dropped the little kid he'd been about to punch when a rock struck his arm, and he growled and looked in the direction it had come from. A boy sat on a tree branch and he looked to be around their age or a year younger. He was throwing up two rocks in one of his hands and catching them easily.

When Amane appeared behind the puppet master, Iwane grinned at her and motioned toward the raven haired Genin. The Itagaki only sighed.

The boy that Kankurou had lifted off his feet had scrambled back to his friends, a young girl and another boy his age. Standing besides them were two other Genin, a blonde haired, blue eyed boy, and a pink haired, teal eyed girl that looked to be more concerned for her looks than her training.

Both Suna kunoichi didn't speak to Temari or Kankurou, and merely waited as Gaara's brother looked up at the boy in the tree. He was smirking in a superior way and looking down at him as he leaned against the trunk. His Konoha hitai-ate indicated that this was his village, and they assumed that he was Genin like the other two on the ground. A mop of black hair fell slightly into matching ebony eyes.

The pink haired kunoichi was staring up at him with a slight frown and the two Suna girls continued to watch the events quietly. They had been ordered to follow the sand siblings but nothing had been said about interfering. More than likely it would either be Eizan or Gaara that would put an end to this.

"Tell me, what're you doing in our village?" the leaf-nin asked. Amane turned to look at the pink haired girl who had muttered a name, and then bit her bottom lip nervously and clenched her hands into fists at her sides.

_'Sasuke.'_ The wind user's eyes fastened on the blonde haired kid behind the kunoichi who didn't look too thrilled to see the boy. His cerulean gaze was observing the events quietly as they were, but his loud clothes might have suggested that he was an impulsive and foolish person.

Amane's features twisted into a glare when she saw a blush upon Temari's face. The brown haired girl wanted to deck the girl. She was a shinobi, and not a hormone-driven teenager. However, at times Iwane was worse when it came to members of the opposite and same gender.

"Oh look, another little brat," Kankurou growled as he gripped the hand the rock had struck. Both girls were observing intently in case anything of interest was brought to their attention to tell Eizan about it.

On that thought, Amane wondered where their leader had gone off to, but instead concentrated on the confrontation. They were all but being ignored and it was the way she liked it since it was best when trying to gather information.

"Get lost," the boy informed the puppet master. Amane could have laughed at the way Kankurou became upset by the words, but only thought him an idiot. The blonde boy glanced in their direction and let his gaze pass over them intently. Amane frowned slightly and glanced at her companion. Iwane's gaze shifted toward her and the other girl merely gave her a grin.

A moment later, the earth user's eyes narrowed and she inclined her head the slightest bit. Amane didn't react and only nodded to indicate that she was aware of the same thing.

"Come down, little squirrel," he called out and Sasuke merely stared down at him and made no move to comply with the request. Either he was really confidant in his ability to defeat Kankurou or he was a fool. Amane quickly decided that it was the older boy that was a fool as he moved the hand that held the puppet on his back. "Think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

When he removed the bundle from his back, Amane found herself developing a headache. _'Does that boy have no common sense?'_ she wondered. They were in a foreign village of an ally nation, and starting a fight outside of the Chunin Exam could cause a lot of trouble.

Temari also seemed to realize the consequences and stepped toward her younger brother. "Tell me you're not planning to use Karasu?" Temari asked incredulously. He didn't answer and continued to smirk up at Sasuke. Iwane tensed as did Amane when they felt the two presences appear just above the boy in the tree.

"Kankurou, stop," came the chillingly cold voice. A figure moved just beside Sasuke who was shocked to discover that someone was there. On a branch a bit higher than him was Gaara, and his arms were crossed over his chest as he hung upside down from a tree branch as his feet were held against the tree branch by his chakra.

Above him, Eizan was crouched on the same branch and her eyes were narrowed slightly on the scene below her. "You're a disgrace to our village." All the Konoha inhabitants were staring up in surprise since they'd both appeared quite suddenly.

Sasuke was indeed stunned to hear the boy behind him and not just him, but there was another Suna-nin on top of the same branch. He was crouched and said nothing as he glared down at the ninja below. _'How did they manage to sneak up behind me? Their stealth skills rival Kakashi's'_, were his thoughts.

Another thing that caught his interest was that Kankurou and Temari looked completely terrified by the sight of him. _'So, he's the leader,'_ he thought in reference to the two older ninja. He switched his look on the other, and wondered if he was part of the three man cell along with the two other boys that had been behind Kankurou all this time that hadn't spoken one word to anyone.

"It annoys me that you would lose control in a quarrel with children," Gaara muttered darkly. The older boy was staring at him nervously as sweat dripped down his face. "Have you forgotten why we came here?"

Sasuke wondered why they _were_ here, but thought it best to listen to the conversation. He found the two in the tree very interesting and wanted to learn more if he could.

"L...listen Gaara, th-they started it," Kankurou argued as he motioned toward the blonde boy and the younger one. He seemed desperate for the redhead to believe his words, but by Gaara's expression it didn't seem to be working all that well. "The little one slammed me!"

Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Shut up," he warned quietly, and while he hadn't raised his voice the tone was dead serious. "I'll kill you." Kankurou shuddered at the look the younger boy pinned him with and he found himself stepping back.

"I got it," he conceded, having returned the wrapped bundle to his back once again. The two behind him smirked at this and glanced at one another before stepping back as if they didn't want to be caught in the cross hairs of the Suna ninja. "My mistake."

Temari held up her hands and smiled nervously. "We're sorry," she said and it looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock for cover. "Okay, Gaara?"

For Sasuke it confirmed even more that he was their leader, and so it was only reasonable to think that the other one was the leader for the two behind Kankurou.

"Apologies to you," Gaara said as he turned to look at Sasuke. Their gazes met and the dark haired boy almost shivered at the intensity of his stare. He was even more interested in knowing the red head.

Gaara was also interested in him since he'd seen some of what had happened through his third eye. He'd sent it ahead of him to see the trouble that Kankurou had gotten into. _'This is the one who hit Kankurou with a stone. That took skill.' _

He vanished within his sand and appeared in between his siblings as they instinctively stepped away from him. "Let's go. We didn't come here to play around." Kankurou nodded and followed him when Gaara turned to walk away and Temari also did as her younger brother instructed.

Sasuke turned to glance up at the other boy and was surprised to see that he was gone as well. When he looked to the ground it was to see that he was standing beside his teammates and had already started to follow the other three Suna-nin.

"Hey, wait," called the pink-haired ninja. The shortest ninja turned slightly as Sakura had called out. He saw the one that had been on the branch move to step in front of Gaara. "Judging by your hitai-ate, you are ninja from Sunagakure," she started. "The Fire and Wind Country may be allies, but it's forbidden for shinobi to enter each other's villages without permission." The boy with the braid looked almost bored by her words. "We can't just let you pass. State your purpose!"

Eizan stepped toward her as she glared at the girl. "Is that so?" she asked. "I'd like to see what you plan on doing to stop us, kunoichi."

Even if the sand-nin was shorter than her, Sakura saw something in those ebony orbs that made the pink haired girl step back as her teal eyes widened in fear. However, one glance from Gaara and the Suna kunoichi hesitated and then backed off.

Sasuke didn't miss this and frowned. _'Is he the leader of both cells?'_ he wondered. It seemed that way since one look was all it had taken to stop the black haired ninja from proceeding further with the threat against Sakura.

"Talk about living under a rock," Temari spoke up. She removed something from her pouch and they would all see that it was a passport, and thus permission to enter into Konoha. It had her information and picture and the Suna symbol on the side of the photo. The others didn't bother to extract theirs. "Weren't you informed?"

She stared to explain to them about the Chunin Exam. The other blonde Genin asked her a question or two, but Sasuke had started to notice that he had started to change. He knew the reason for that and he was glad for the presence of the other boy.

When Temari had finished her explanation Sasuke jumped off the tree and landed in front of his teammates. There was a pensive look on the blonde's face while the pink haired kunoichi was watching their exchange intently with calculating eyes.

Meanwhile, Eizan was watching the raven haired Genin that was so familiar to her. When he jumped from the tree she had stepped protectively in front of Gaara once again.

"Hey, you! What's your name?" he asked as he looked at Gaara. Temari thought he was addressing her and blushed once again. "No, the one next to you with the gourd." It was obvious he meant Gaara, especially when he pointed at him.

The fire wielder looked him over and thought that it'd be useful to find out more about him. He looked skillful and might be one of those strong opponents that Gaara wanted to find. She glanced back at Gaara and saw that he was returning Sasuke's stare, but his was harsher.

"Sabaku no Gaara," he responded quietly. "I am also interested in you. Your name?" It seemed that Eizan had been right in her assumption about Gaara being interested in this boy. Her eyes flicked back to the other boy.

"It's Uchiha Sasuke," he answered the red haired boy as he smirked. When he said his name the short boy's eyes widen. He frowned and turned to look at him. "Who are you?" he asked him next, meeting his stare. He saw that his eyes were not completely black as he had originally thought, and there was a blood red lining them and soaking the pupil. The color reminded him of his older brothers' Sharingan.

Ashikaga Eizan was shocked to hear the name. _'I knew he looked familiar,'_ she mused. _'He looks so much like Itachi.'_ She frowned when his gaze turned toward her and asked her who she was. _'His eyes changed so much. They're almost dead slates.'_

A smirk spread over her features and she might have given him her name but she saw Gaara turn to look at her. His eyes had hardened and she could have sworn she saw a momentary flash of anger in them. It was almost frightening.

She turned to meet the Uchiha's stare and glared at him before turning away. "Don't be so nosy," she growled. As she walked off, Amane and Iwane followed after her. She had never seen Gaara react that way, but for some reason she felt a small smile spread over her face.

"Hey, Hey! What about me?" the blonde boy finally spoke up after having observed the exchange. He was grinning and pointing a finger at him self. He seemed rather excited about everyone giving out their names and it was almost amusing.

The Genin had blonde hair and blue eyes, and he was wearing a flamboyant orange jacket and matching pants. His sandals were blue and his leaf hitai-ate was proudly displayed at his forehead.

Gaara turned around to follow after the one that hadn't given his name. Sasuke hadn't missed the look the spook had sent his way. When he lifted his gaze to look in his direction, the Uchiha was once again surprised to see that he was gone along with his teammates.

"Not interested," Gaara responded to the question and started to walk off. They were gone in the next few seconds and Sasuke had to smirk.

_'Things are getting interesting'_, he thought to himself, ignoring his blonde teammate who seemed to be depressed about not being asked to supply his name. He didn't notice that Sakura was being strangely silent, or that she was looking after the sand ninja with worry etched into her face.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan came to stop on the roof of a nearby building and Amane and Iwane kneeled before her before she indicated that they stand. "Report," she muttered to them as she turned away and crossed her arms over her chest.

Her gaze shifted toward the direction that the Konoha Genin had been, and she saw as Gaara and his team left. She knew that they were most likely going to where they had rented rooms at a local ryokan, and knew that Enoki had made theirs at the same place.

Amane spoke up first. "The one named Uchiha Sasuke was able to easily hit Kankurou so that he released the small boy," she said, trying to remember anything else important about the others. "The pink haired kunoichi didn't say much but she has sharp eyes. Even then she didn't appear too strong."

Iwane smirked and nodded about that. "I doubt she'd pose too much of a threat," she commented and shrugged her shoulders before crossing her arms behind her head. "But we both agree that she still shouldn't be underestimated since by her words, she seems smart where she lacks skills."

Eizan lifted an eyebrow and tried to remember if she had seen anything useful about her but there wasn't. "I wonder if they're part of the same team?" she asked out loud. The other girls gave each other incredulous looks but it did seem that way.

"Maybe they are. They'd made the usual three man cell with the blonde boy," commented Amane. "He didn't seem too strong either, but he was observing as we were." She remembered something else and stepped forward. "Also, there were three ninja observing us, Eizan-sama."

Iwane snapped her fingers and it almost seemed like it had escaped her mind for a moment. "Hai, I sensed them as well. They were nearby watching from a nearby three but I couldn't exactly see what village they hailed from." She turned her body so that she was looking in the same direction that Eizan was. "They're probably one of the many teams that have already started to arrive for the Chunin Exam."

Eizan stretched her arms over her head, and yawned. She plopped down on the edge of the roof as her legs hung over the side. Her gaze swept over what she could see of the village. "Possibly," she commented and yawned again as she brought her hand to stifle it. "This is a more flourishing land than our own village, don't you think?"

Amane and Iwane moved to stand on either side of her, also letting their eyes move over the village. They were not on the highest of the buildings, but from here they had a pretty good view. "Hai, but I wouldn't want to live here," the wind user told them and pushed back a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

Iwane nodded to this as she placed one foot just at the edge of the roof. "I doubt if the kunoichi of this village are anything but stupid, flirting fools," the earth user spoke up. She grinned sheepishly at her quiet teammate as she flicked her pony tail back over her shoulder. "But I'm one to talk, huh?"

Eizan laughed. "You'd fit right in," she said and escaped her whining friend by jumping off the roof. She landed easily on the ground and lifted her head and glance up at them. "Scout around and see if you see anything interesting. I'm going to get some food." The Ashikaga smirked. "Or you could join me for some Ramen?"

Iwane laughed and Amane smirked slightly. They both shook their head and said almost at the same time, "You know I hate the stuff." All three girls went their separate ways after agreeing to meet at the Inn after an hour.

Eizan shook her head when they had gone and then walked off as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. She strolled toward the ramen shop that she had seen earlier, since she had to get use to this city because they were likely to be here for a while.

She actually had to push the Noren aside that hung from the low roof and slid onto one of the stools. A middle aged man and a young woman greeted her with smiles. It was slightly surprising, but she remembered that no one here would know what she was and thus wouldn't fear her as Suna did.

She merely gave them a nod in return to their greeting. "Chashuu ramen," she simply told them. The man immediately started on her order as the girl asked her what she'd like to drink. Eizan asked for oolong tea as she fiddled with the chop sticks she had extracted from the green container to her left.

As she was waiting, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. The fire wielder could tell that they were running in this direction. Moments later, the Noren were pushed aside as a figure entered.

"Ichiraku Ramen is the best!" the person was chanting as he sat two stools to Eizan's left. She lifted her head slightly and peered through her bangs at him since his voice sounded vaguely familiar.

A flash of blonde hair and orange clothing was enough for her to realize that it was one of the Konoha Genin they had run into not too long ago. He hadn't said anything too important, but it was hard to miss that mop of his and his clothing wasn't exactly subtle. He was certainly noticeable.

"Pork roast, old man!" The mentioned "old man" was setting the bowl in front of her when he glanced at the boy, and she saw a fond smile pass over his features.

_'He probably comes here often,'_ she mused to herself and stored that for future reference.

Eizan placed her hands in front of her and slightly bowed her head. "Itadakimasu," she muttered. She didn't believe in any of the gods or deities that her parents or grandparents did, but saying the phrase had become a habit. After all, Eizan couldn't believe in a god that would give her these abilities only to destroy everything she's ever loved.

The Ashikaga was distracted from her brooding thought as the boy wiggled impatiently in his seat. She chuckled quietly and shook her head, and started to eat her noodles.

It was just as the girls had reported, since he didn't appear strong and so she had no need to observe him. However, while she would have preferred to finish her meal in peace, it seemed that fate always had a different idea in mind.

"Hey! It's you...that shinobi from...uh..." he said, fishing around for the name. To Eizan he didn't appear to be too bright, but she'd learned that at times things are not as they seemed. However, she doubted that that could be said about this boy.

She swallowed the mouthful of noodles and lifted her gaze to look at him as her bangs fell slightly over her right eye. Her cold stare, which usually unnerved anyone from Suna, didn't seem to have any effect on the blonde Genin. He merely blinked in confusion and stared back.

"Sunagakure," she provided and wondered why she ever bothered. She went back to her meal and hoped that the answer would placate the boy into leaving her in peace. Eizan would soon learn that shaking off Uzumaki Naruto wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

He snapped his fingers as he grinned. "Yeah, that's it!" A hearty thanks was given to the man when he placed his bowl of ramen before the leaf-nin, and he made quick work of breaking his chop sticks apart. "Itadakimasu!" he yelled before he started to eat the noodles with gusto.

It seemed he favored ramen. Eizan almost smirked at the fact that they had something in common, but she merely shook her head and returned to her own meal. "So, what's your name?" He grinned and pointed the chopsticks in his direction. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" he supplied without waiting for a response and pointed his eating utensils at her this time.

"It's rude to point with your hashi," she chastised. " And I don't think I recall asking for your name." She returned to her food, and Naruto blinked in confusion and also went back to his ramen. He was eating faster, however, and had already started on his second bowl by this time. It seemed he _really_ liked ramen.

When she had paid and stood to leave, the blonde was on his third or fourth bowl. She was walking down the street when he called out to her. "Onii-san, wait up," he said, and quickly finished and paid as well.

Eizan had stopped but for a different reason. _'Onii-san?'_ Memories of the past came unbidden to her mind and she struggled to keep his memories in check. She hadn't reviewed them all and knew what would happen if she let them fill her mind too quickly.

As she continued to walk once again, she made it a point to ignore him, but he followed her. "Come on, Onii-san, tell me your name!"

She stuffed her hands into her pockets and glanced away from him. The day was fading toward the western horizon, and it looked like the sun had been slain and was spilling its guts across the heavens. It reminded Eizan of her childhood days, which had been splattered with blood.

Meanwhile, Naruto was chatting while she ignored him, but kept an open ear in case he said something of importance. So far all he'd done was boast how he was getting stronger thanks to his friends help and that soon he'd be able to defeat Sasuke easily. He hadn't given his "friend" a name, but the blonde had assured her that he was very strong.

"That's why I want to take the test and beat Sasuke," was his finally declaration and he clenched his hand into a fist. It was already clear to Eizan that Sasuke and he were teammates, since he had mentioned in somewhere in his rambling. Another slightly interesting thing that she'd heard was that they were rivals, but she had to wonder how serious the raven-haired ninja took it.

Naruto had also mentioned a _'Sakura-chan',_ and she figured that it was the pink haired kunoichi. He had described her as having a brilliant mind, which was amazing to Eizan. She didn't know that the Uzumaki even knew that word.

She realized that she'd almost reached the ryokan and didn't wish the blonde to know where she was staying at. So she stopped and turned toward him.

"Get lost, Bozu," she told him and he halted in his stride and met her stare. His cerulean orbs were almost mesmerizing and she found that she had to tear her gaze from his. Then she was walking away and turning into the small alleyway that would lead her toward the next street and the inn.

When she was half way down the alley a figure manifested itself before her as she froze in her tracks. A gasp escaped her lips and she fell to one knee. Gaara was standing before her but that wasn't what had made her gasp. It was the look of murder in his eyes as his sand swirled around him dangerously. "Gaara-dono!"

Moments later she felt his foot connect under her chin and she cried out as flew back. She landed a few feet from away and she was still for a second as her heart pounded in her ears. Then she scrambled back onto her knees, and wondered what she had done to upset him so much.

He strode toward her but stopped as a shout come from behind her. "Hey, you can't do that!" She recognized Naruto's voice, and remembered that he had been just around the corner and he'd most likely seen everything.

Gaara lifted his gaze from his subordinate and glared at the boy with sun kissed hair as turquoise clashed with blue. Everything seemed to pause in those few moments as they stared each other down. The red head seemed to see something in the blonde that he liked and the sand started to leak from his gourd.

Eizan started to rise to her feet and was fully prepared to demand that Naruto leave, but she was stopped. The male Suna-nin's hand snapped forward and harshly knocked her away and she crashed against the wall.

"Stay there," Gaara growled and turned to look at the other boy once again. Meanwhile, Eizan slid to the floor as she coughed and blood passed her lips. "I can treat my property as I please."

She winced as he spoke these words but resigned herself. All along she'd know that all she'd ever been to him was nothing more than a tool. She was property that could be disposed of when no longer useful, but that still didn't lessen her pain and sorrow.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Naruto had been about to leave but had heard the boy gasp before saying a name. He'd turned into the alley only to see the sand wielding shinobi's foot knock Eizan to the ground as he cried out.

He lifted wide eyes and was surprised to see the one that he and his team had met earlier. The leaf ninja was trying to remember his name as the other Suna-nin hurried back onto his knees. _'Sabaku no Gaara'_ he recalled, and then he impulsively yelled at the red haired kid. Even if he had started to control himself better since the mission to Waves, at the time it didn't seem like it, but he was justified!

The blonde watched as Eizan started to stand, but was knocked to the side by Gaara as he hit the wall. He slid to the ground with a small groan, and his gaze didn't leave him as the other jinchuriki spoke. When the red head referred to the Ashikaga as property he saw as he flinched as if he'd been hit.

His long bangs had come to fall over the Suna hitai-ate to obscure his eyes. The shorter ninja didn't want to show it, but the words had hurt.

"How can you say that?" he muttered quietly, letting his gaze wander for another moment on the fallen boy before he finally turned to look at Gaara. "People aren't property and he doesn't deserve to be treated like that! No one does!"

He clenched his hands into fists and then ran toward him. "I'm going to kick your ass and make you apologize!" He jumped forward and swung, and was shocked when the other boy's figure appeared before him and took the hit.

The short haired ninja stumbled back a bit but quickly regained his balance. He was slouched slightly and blood was dripping from his mouth to stain the ground below him. The bangs still obscured his eyes from Naruto's sight.

_'Why did he protect him?'_ the blonde wondered in disbelief as he watched the other lift his blood stained face.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan saw Naruto clench his hands and then rush at Gaara. Normally, he would have stopped this by letting the sand envelope him so that he could crush him. She realized, however, that the red head wanted to toy with the leaf-nin before killing him.

Her body moved of its own free will with the desire to protect both of them. The Uzumaki boy had been a bit too chatty, but she didn't think he deserved to die in such a way, and she had always sworn to serve Gaara and defend him from anything.

The fist had connected with her jaw and she had only stumbled a few steps before she straightened. She had almost fallen since vertigo had seized her from having been hit already, and blood was dripping from her mouth. Gaara had moved back so she hadn't slammed into him, but even she hadn't have recovered in time, the sand would have come up to protect him.

The blood had spilled in a small puddle at her feet before she lifted her gaze to meet Naruto's wide eyed stare. "Back off," she snarled quietly as she coughed and once again splattered the ground scarlet.

The energetic blonde stepped toward her but stopped at her growl. She moved back and turned to face Gaara and bowed at the waist toward him.

"Sumimasen." When he didn't say anything, she lifted her head and saw as his eyes narrowed in anger. Then he turned and disappeared in his sand. When he was gone she sighed and fell onto her knees, but it wasn't from relief. She had seen in his eyes that this matter between them had not been resolved.

She felt someone helping her to her feet, and then heard Naruto asking her if she was okay. "Onii-san, can you walk?" She shoved him away and turned to glare at the boy. For some odd reason, she knew that he had been the cause of this.

"Don't touch me! I am not your Onii-san! Get lost," she told him before she staggered back. She jumped up onto the roof and put some distance between the two.

After she spent a few minutes recovering on a rooftop several blocks down, she started to move toward the ryokan once again. She wasn't sure what Gaara had in store for her but she only knew that it was anything but good. Eizan only wished her wounds would heal before the start of the Chunin Exam.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1.** Kage: **literally "Shadow"; those who achieved the title of Kage are the leaders of the five most powerful Hidden Villages. Kage are usually the most powerful ninja of the village.  
2. **Chashuu:** roasted pork fillet  
3. **Itadakimasu:** traditional phrase of gratitude said before a meal  
4. **Bozu:** this is an informal way to refer to a boy, similar to the English term "kid" or "squirt".  
5. **Sumimasen:** I'm sorry, forgive me.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Six**_


	8. Reconnaissance

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update. I would have wanted to update sooner but two (all rolled into one shocking holiday) family emergencies took up a lot of my time. Here is the update and this is dedicated to Gaara1Love who said she wanted to know the rest of the story. Thanks for the review, it helped a lot. Anyway, on with the chapter!Enjoy!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Seven: Reconnaissance**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane landed on a rooftop and glanced toward the ramen shop that Eizan had entered. She turned as she heard a rapid approach of footsteps and a moment later a blonde head ran along the road just under her. It was easy to tell by the orange pants and jacket that he was one of the Konoha Genin that they had met a while ago.

A smirk crossed her features as she saw him enter the same shop as her friend and she shook her head before moving on, and hopping from roof to roof easily. Normally she would have been worried, but she was confident that there weren't to many Genin that could match Eizan's level of skill in this village. Besides, the blonde had appeared harmless and would surely not cause the Ashikaga any problems.

She wasn't hungry or she might have been tempted to join the other girl, but she didn't favor ramen as much as her. If there was a shop that sold her favorite food she would more than likely buy something to eat.

The orders had been rather vague and thus she could still go on her own to get something to eat. However, her lack of appetite came into play so she dismissed it, but when dumplings were involved then she'd be more than happy to force them down.

After a few minutes she stopped at the last building before she would reach the area that extended into the forest. She glanced back the way she'd come and knew that her teammates had gone in the opposite direction toward the mountain with the Hokage's faces carved into it. Amane couldn't see her but she was sure that Iwane could see her.

She'd learned from the short haired girl that every time a Hokage was named, their faces were carved in it. Taking it from the bit of information she'd learned from Eizan, they were from the left to right, Shodai followed by Nidaime, then Sandaime and finally Yondaime Hokage.

The Itagaki turned her attention toward the forest and contemplated going in, but she hesitated. She wasn't afraid of someone ambushing her since she doubted that anyone could do it. Besides, with the exam so close, any teams serious about becoming Chunin wouldn't risk getting disqualified. Even then, she was still cautious since she also knew that there were those that would look to reduce the number of enemy ninja, and use the exam as a cover.

She didn't want to go in since Eizan had warned them before they had arrived to be scarce, and remain out of sight of others, and especially out of trouble. If she had to guess, this forest was probably large and there were bound to be teams of Konoha Genin training. While the team they had met hadn't known about the exam, she was sure to be many that did know.

Amane hadn't reported one piece of information, since she was sure the others must have noticed, and that was that the three they had met had all been rookies. Most likely they were fresh out of the academy, and were probably Eizan's age since Amane and Iwane were a year older but they'd graduated at the same time.

After a moment, she decided that she would scout a bit of the forest but not enter too deeply. It wasn't a good idea to go too much into unknown territory, and besides, she only had half an hour. The thing that made her enter was the prospect of encountering Genin that were not as green behind the ears as the Uchiha and his team obviously were.

All three of them had only graduated a year ago, but they'd gained a bit of experience and had even earned their first kill. However, at times Amane didn't wish to delve too deeply into the past. It was painful.

She stopped on a tree branch and laid a hand against the truck to feel the texture and coolness of the bark. It was stored in her memory, since there were no trees in Sunagakure. As she observed the feeling of nature around her, she thought back to their encounter with the leaf-nin.

The look on Eizan's face when she'd heard that boy's name had been obvious, and she'd seen recognition in her eyes. _'Does she know the boy?'_ she silently wondered. If that were true, she wondered from where. The Ashikaga didn't speak of her past too much so she didn't know if the girl had ever been to Konohagakure before.

It was obvious that it couldn't have been during a mission since Iwane and her had both been with the shorter girl during almost every mission. Gaara had been with her in the few that they hadn't, and the red head hadn't acknowledged the raven-haired Genin so it was clear that they hadn't met before.

The two missions they'd completed had been one B-rank mission that had taken them away from Suna but nowhere near Konoha. Then there was the A-rank where they had gone after the Nukenin that had tried to assassinate the Kazekage. Amane wanted to investigate the boy more, but she had to admit that his surname did sound rather familiar.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Itagaki Amane lifted her face and the dying daylight shone on her features through the branches, and then she shot straight up and landed on the very top branch. She used chakra to stay in place or she would have fallen, since the flimsy branches should have snapped under her weight.

From where she was she could see the village if she turned her head to the side slightly, and the tops of the trees stretched out in front of her. She jumped and landed on the next tree, lost her balance but flipped in the air so she dived into a space where the branches were thin. A few of them scraped her but nothing more, and she plummeted toward the ground.

Her eyes were closed as she fell and she listened to the air rushing around her surroundings. She stretched out her hands and caught the last branch before she'd have no chance of catching hold and spun around. Amane twisted her body and stopped in a crouch on top of the branch with her hands pressed against its surface to keep her balance.

'_Some one is near,'_ she mused as her ears perked and her eyes remained closed. Her first thought was that it was a team of Genin training in a last stretch before the exam, but she couldn't be sure of that. Curiosity got the better of her and she was quickly moving across the tree branches. She made sure to conceal her chakra and refrained from making any noise.

She stopped and from where she stood her figure was obscured by the thick foliage. Her senses were stretched to the best of her abilities, but while she could find Iwane or Eizan, it wasn't the Itagaki's strong point. She relied more on her hearing, which was the most developed of their team, just as Iwane's eyesight was superior.

The individuals were several feet in front of her current location, and she had already figured out that there were three of them. She heard the 'thwack' of a projectile hitting something. It was easy for her to identify that it was a kunai hitting a wooden target since she heard it whenever she was training alone and using the targets.

She distinctively heard their conversation. "I hear they're allowing rookies into this year's exam," a male voice spoke.

"Rookies?" a female asked. "Seems like their leading the lambs early to the slaughter this year."

"I think it has to do with rivalry among the Jonin," the first male voice said again. "They're saying that one of the cells is trained by Kakashi." Amane recognized that name.

"**The** Kakashi?" she heard another male voice speak up, and it was slightly deeper in pitch. "That's interesting." The wind user had to agree with him on that, and knew that it was worth reporting to Eizan as soon as she returned to the Inn. "Well, either way...it all has a very sad sound to it."

The sound of something hitting the target resounded again, and she was able to tell that it came just above the second male's voice. Judging from the position his voice came from, she was able to determine that he was sitting down. The kunoichi was standing somewhere in front of him and had most likely been the one that threw the kunai, and the other male was standing besides him.

She would have continued to listen, but she heard the voices go silent. _'Someone's listening,'_ the second males' voice murmured. She'd been discovered.

The Itagaki quickly jumped to the next branch, pushed off and continued on. Behind her, she heard them start to give chase and while anyone else might have missed it, she didn't. During the past year she'd been training in the art of the silent killing from Enoki since he was an expert at it. Her superb hearing had aided her in learning to fight using the enemy's sounds and movement. That was another reason she had concentrated most of her time on wind jutsu. She'd learned to identify the way wind moved around objects and people.

Her ears twitched as she heard them getting closer and knew that all three of them were chasing her. They were spaced out and within her hearing range, so could hear that boy's were on her sides and the kunoichi was a few feet behind her, judging by their size and weight.

A slight chuckle left her lips as she closed her eyes, but she still dodged the branches as if she could see them. It had become dark but the wind had picked up and she was able to hear the rustling of the leaves. As she did this she concentrated her chakra as Enoki had taught her and directed it to her legs, and soon she picked up more speed. While it was below Eizan's since she'd seen the girls' true speed as well as the chakra induced speed, but it would be enough for her at the moment.

However, she was shocked as one of the male ninja picked up speed and his figure came at her from the side. She had underestimated the speed of the three, and as the figure came at her, she was able to tell that he was a leaf-nin. Amane cursed and blocked but was pushed back by the sheer power behind the shinobi's kick. _'Son of a-!'_

She winced as she crashed into the truck of a tree behind her. _'So strong,'_ she mused as she flashed through hand seals. Her ears heard him move out of the way and come back at her.

Amane smirked and turned before releasing the wind jutsu. It slammed into the stunned boy and he was thrown back, but it hadn't been a high rank technique and so wouldn't sustain too much injury.

The Itagaki took this opportunity to flee since his teammates were right behind him, and she was at once grateful that she had followed her own advice and hadn't gone too far into the forest. As soon she'd exited the woods her eyes snapped open, and she jumped, sailed through the air and landed on a nearby rooftop. She was running across it and jumping toward the next one when she heard her pursuers emerge from the forest.

She quickly hopped over several roofs and then descended to the street below. It was several minutes of moving through the streets and the gathering shadows to make sure that she'd lost them. Amane hadn't been able to identify even the one she had briefly fought with since it had been dark, but she heard their voices and that was enough for her to know them later on.

Since the sun had already set she hoped they wouldn't recognize her later if they saw her. At least she hoped they wouldn't since the last thing she needed was to be accused of being a spy. She sighed and stuffed her hands into her pockets and strolled slowly toward the ryokan. It was almost time to meet up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Iwane hoped away from the rooftop they parted from and kept a steady across the village. She made sure to keep mostly out of sight. Before she had reached the edge of it, she stopped abruptly at the edge and almost toppled off. She caught herself by crouching and grabbing hold with her hands.

The scent that had made her stop was coming from a small restaurant on the corner of the street below her. She had declined Eizan's invitation, but that didn't mean she wasn't hungry. Iwane just didn't like ramen.

She sniffed the air and almost felt her mouth water and tried to remember when had been the last time she had eaten. It was then that she recalled that it had been a soldier pill early this morning but as was always the case, they had no damn taste. She could tolerate it on missions but this wasn't one, and besides she had to be well fed if she wanted to check out the village.

The Erizawa knew how her teammates would react to that logic, but she shrugged and hoped down onto the street. _'What they don't know won't hurt me,'_ she thought with a slightly wicked grin.

She quickly fished into her pocket and saw that she still had money left over from their last three missions. So, she stuffed the money back into her pocket and pushed back the noren as she slipped in. She had glanced at the name on them in case she wanted to come back.

The customary welcome was sent her way but she merely lifted a hand in response and sat in a table that would seat two people. There weren't too many people in at the moment and after a quick inspection she saw that there was a group of four people sitting at the other side of the room. She saw their attire and Konoha hitai-ate, and three of them looked to be her age so she assumed they were Genin.

The older woman that sat with them was no doubt their Jonin instructor. Her eyes took in her long midnight hair that flowed past her shoulders, and even from this distance she could tell she had crimson eyes. Her clothes consisted of white wrappings that formed a dress, and her hitai-ate wrapped around her forehead. She was slender and attractive, and a smirk crossed the Erizawa's lips. It was no secret to her teammates that she liked girls instead of boys. They knew her reasons, and besides most of the males her age from Suna were repelled by her bold and sometimes, obnoxious personality.

The next one sitting to the Jonin's right was a boy that was wearing a gray coat despite it being summer. The hood of it was lined with most likely synthetic fur and since it was up, it appeared like he had long and wild brown hair. However, she could tell that it wasn't his normal hair since the same type of material lined the ends of the sleeves.

He had two red markings on each cheek that looked like upside down triangles, and his headband was at his forehead. There was a distinctive wildness about him, and Iwane had seen the flash of fangs as he ate. Another thing that caught her attention about him was the small beige dog that was resting on top of his head, curled up as if it was use to being there.

The waitress had come to take her order and she'd been distracted from observing them to tell her what she wanted. After the young woman, whom she had flirted with unabashedly, had brought her some green tea (she had been refused sake when she'd tried to order it) she had gone back to observing the last two Genin.

The kunoichi of the Genin teamt was a girl who had short, dark purple hair and she had her eyes lowered shyly as she ate. Iwane felt the urge to pounce on the girl and smother her in a hug, but resisted the urge. When she did lift her gaze to speak to the wild boy, she was slightly surprised to see that she had light blue eyes that lacked pupils.

She'd never seen this before and it might have been unnerving to be fixed with a stare by her, but the girl looked as dangerous as a lady bug. The kunoichi also wore a coat, but hers was a different color from her companions' but it also had a slightly fuzzy collar so that it resembled an Eskimo's coat. Her Konoha head band was resting around her neck just like Temari wore hers. The thought that they might have similar tastes caused Iwane to laugh.

She ducked her head when the sound brought their stares in her direction. At times, Eizan had told her that she was rather strange, since she could laugh by herself. The Ashikaga had also told her that it gave her a bit of an unpredictable edge, so she didn't care if anyone thought she was weird.

Her order came and she left her observation of the Genin team and instead concentrated on eating. She said the traditional phrase of gratitude and quickly dug in. Miso soup had been the sole reason she had stopped on that roof, but she had also ordered chicken and rice.

She placed down the half finished soup and started to shovel the rice into her mouth at an amazing speed. At times Eizan had told her that if she trained with the same speed that she ate then she'd be a formidable opponent. She always dismissed it as Eizan being who she was but had also taken her words into consideration. The Ashikaga had been trained by her brother from a young age and afterwards had dedicated her entire existence to training to serve Gaara.

Iwane was half way finished with the rice when she noticed something crawling across the table. She frowned as her eyes narrowed on the bug and saw that it wasn't a cockroach. When she placed the bowl down it didn't scurried away, or moved for that matter. Amane had told them once that she'd heard a rumor from the Jonin that there was a clan of bug users in Konohagakure.

The earth user wasn't sure whether that was true or not but that wasn't an ordinary bug. She leaned down and spoke rather quietly to it. "It's rude to impose on another's meal," she said to it as she lifted a piece of chicken with her hashi and popped it into her mouth.

After a moment it lifted from the table and flew off. Her sharp eyes followed it and she saw as it headed toward the table of the Genin. It landed on the other boy that she had not had time to observe before. His slightly shaggy black hair was held back a bit by his leaf hitai-ate, and he wore sun glasses over his eyes. He had a long white coat with the collar pulled up around his face. So, he was the bug user.

Iwane went back to eating but knew that she was still being watched, and suspected that it was only by bug boy. She ignored him and concentrated on her meal. It had been a long time since she'd had a good meal, and she wasn't going to let anything ruin it. Soon, she was back in her rhythm and quickly finished the rice and then the soup.

The tea was the last thing she finished and finally stood. She waved the waitress off when she asked if there was anything else she needed, but she merely dropped a tip on the table, paid and went on her way. As she was leaving the restaurant she was aware of four pairs of eyes on her and couldn't hold back the grin that streaked across her face. She chuckled as she ducked under the noren.

She took to the rooftops when she was outside once again and headed toward the mountain that had the former Hokage's faces chiseled into the surface. Her figure stopped one the head of the Yondaime and she crouched and let her gaze sweep the area before her. She could see clear across the village and the forest on the other end. The sun had completely set while she had been inside eating and a normal person couldn't have been able to see, but she had inherited the sharp eyesight of the Morisue.

Amane was the same way and had gotten traces of the Morisue's acute hearing. She knew that Eizan had no attributes of the family. The Itagaki had once told her that she'd heard her grandfather call Eizan's mother "an adopted bastard child". They understood then why she didn't resemble any of the Morisue or have any of the clan's abilities.

Even so, they had always considered her family, and family protected one another. They believed that and yet they had forsaken their families for her. The reason for that was because the kunoichi believed that what they were doing to Eizan was unforgivable. _'No one should have to suffer such loneliness,'_ had always been her belief.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw a figure dash out of the woods and quickly jumped over the rooftops. A moment later, three more figures followed and they paused as the first one disappeared in between the buildings. Because of the distance and the darkness, she hadn't been able to tell who it was, but the braid had been unmistakable.

A smirk twisted the Erizawa's lips as she jumped off the mountain and disappeared only to appear on a rooftop below. She took off and headed back the way she had come. It was almost time to meet with Eizan at the ryokan.

After a quick stop at a shop she continued on. She knew her other team mate well, and that she wouldn't concern herself with food during reconnaissance. The earth user was completely faithful to their unofficial leader, but she knew that Amane was loyal to a point that she neglected her own needs. She understood the Itagaki after everything they'd been through together.

During their own childhood they hadn't had too many friends since they were related to the Ashikaga family. However, they hadn't blamed her for their seclusion. Eizan had been shunned as well, and had been called a monster by the village and many in their families. There was a time when they didn't understand why she was feared. The girls had only heard things being whispered of her, but never anything of what she had done to bring about so much hate upon herself. The other children hadn't known either but their parents told them to avoid the lone girl.

Then one day, when they were going to register for the Academy, the two of them had been there. They were accompanied by their parents to pick up their test scores and had come in time to see Eizan being denied her request to use her brother's name. It had been shocking and almost frightening when her hands had caught fire.

At first it looked like she had burst into flames by some type of jutsu, but they quickly realized that it wasn't hurting her and that it was coming from _her_. That day they had learned why she was feared and hated. However, for them it was hard to see the smaller girl as a monster.

Iwane had to admit that she'd been intimidated at first when she was placed on her team. After a while it became apparent that she was fairly easy to get along with. Also, that she was scarred underneath her cold and tough experience.

She sighed and lifted a hand to push away her bangs. They were all scarred by things from their past. Some were too delicate to touch.

_'Shh, don't make a sound…'_

A shudder passed through her before shaking off the dark memories of the past. She thanked the shop lady and headed toward the inn at a leisure pace. It wasn't too far and she wanted to walk there. At first, she had been certain that she might be followed by the ones in the restaurant but she hadn't seen anything so far.

Although when she was about to reach the street the ryokan was on she stopped and glanced to the side. Her hand shot out and she plucked something out of the air. A bug wiggled between her fingers, but made no move to hurt it. She had no intention of doing so, and she merely grinned at it.

"I really hate being bothered, you understand?" she said and knew it would be relayed to its master. She released it and saw as it flew to the right. When it was out of her sight she turned left at the corner she'd been at.

As she approached, Iwane saw Amane coming from the opposite direction with her hands stuffed into the pockets of her pants. She lifted a hand and waved enthusiastically at her, but the other girl merely greeted her with a nod.

Amane wasn't too talkative but at least they understood each other most of the time that words weren't needed. "Yo! How was it?" she asked her and Amane merely shrugged. She smirked since she knew that wasn't true but she only gave a nod. "Yeah, the same. Here." She threw the bag at her.

Amane caught the bag easily and she lifted an eyebrow and looked at her in question. Iwane mimicked her and gave a shrug and then walked into the building. The wind user was a bit confused and opened the bag. She pulled out a canned tea that was still warm and a small covered take out plate.

When she opened it she found four chopsticks with six odango impaled along them. After staring at them for a moment she smirked and shook her head. She opened her tea and drank it as she stuffed the dumplings back inside the bag and followed after her team mate. At times, Iwane knew her too well.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan coughed and more of her blood escaped her mouth to splatter the tatami mats beneath her. A figure loomed over her as she rested on her hands and knees. She wiped her mouth as the red head glared down at her with his cold, unfeeling eyes.

She tried to stand after a few moments and all she could hear was her own heart pounding loudly in her ears. He hadn't given her a chance to explain herself and he hadn't given her a reason for his anger toward her. In fact, he hadn't said a single word to her since she had arrived.

This was worse than the other night where he had busted her mouth open. She was sure he had cracked a few ribs this time, and she felt like cursing since the exam was only a week away.

Gaara moved forward and planted a foot square on her back to force her down. Her arms and legs gave way under her so she kissed the floor. He ground his sandal-clad foot against her flesh as she felt her injured ribs ache with pain. She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out as the mats beneath her soaked up more of her blood as it slipped past her lips.

"What were you doing with that blonde imbecile?" he finally spoke and she heard the dangerous edge to his voice. His words caught her completely off guard. _'Is he jealous?_' The thought was dispelled as quickly as it came. _'Why would he get jealous over a piece of property?'_ she thought bitterly.

She moaned in pain and dug her nails into her palms. "Gomen," she gasped but he only pressed down harder. "I was getting something to eat and he was there! I said nothing to him but he started to follow me because he recognized me!"

She turned her face to the side as she felt the pressure slackened the slightest bit. "He is…Uchiha Sasuke's team mate and so I thought I might be able to learn some thing from the boy, but when I didn't learn anything useful, I tried to ditch him."

This time the foot was completely removed. A moment later she hissed in pain as she felt him kick her against the side. She was sent rolling across the floor and the door opened a moment before she crashed into the wall next to it.

"Eizan-sama!" she heard two simultaneous cries. The sound of something hitting the ground followed before her two teammates rushed to her side. She felt their hands moving over her almost immediately to check for any fatal wounds, and a smile crossed her blood splattered face.

"I'm fine," she sighed before she was dragged down into that familiar oblivion.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Iwane checked what room they were in before heading up, and Amane followed closely behind. She was drinking the tea that she had brought her even if it was most likely lukewarm by now. The Erizawa smirked and threw the key behind her, and heard the wind user catch it. She stepped aside as they arrived at the room to let her open it.

"Lazy," Amane muttered as she unlocked it and Iwane could only smirk.

When she opened the door they were met with a rather shocking sight as Eizan rolled the last few feet to crash against the wall. She gasped as she called out to her at the same time as Amane did and was at her side almost immediately. Her teammate had dropped the canned tea as its contents spilled over the tatami mat and then the bag of odango joined it.

Amane checked the smaller girl for any injuries. Eizan's bloody lips had stretched into a faint smirk and muttered that she was fine before passing out. They didn't turn to look at the culprit since they already knew who it was.

The Itagaki clenched her hands and stood. Iwane's emerald eyes narrowed and matched Amane's glacial ebony orbs. She turned to face the redhead who had been watching everything quietly. He didn't even bat an eye under her glare. "When she's gone, you'll hate yourself," she growled between clenched teeth.

His eyes narrowed but she didn't flinch or say anything more. She started to help Iwane lift Eizan and carry her to one of the futons they had lain out. He said nothing and disappeared in his sand.

Both girls wanted to inflict the same pain on him that he had caused their friend, but it was common knowledge that he could easily kill them. Besides, Eizan would never forgive their betrayal if they ever tried to harm the red head. So, all they could do was move her to a comfortable place, and clean and dress her wounds.

Iwane frowned as she felt along her abdomen and she saw the wince from the unconscious girl and turned to look at her. "She might have fractured ribs...could even be broken," she told Amane who promptly drove a fist through the wall. The earth user frowned and sat besides Eizan's prone form, and brushed the bangs out of her face since she had removed her hitai-ate. "Why does she have to love that bastard?" she asked, her voice strained.

The other girl had pulled her fist from the hole she had made, seemingly unharmed. She sighed now and ran both hands through her hair so the already loose braid came undone. The long strands of her silky hair spread and tumbled down her back before she hung her head. Her bangs fell over her Suna headband to obscure her eyes. "I don't know, Iwane," she answered quietly. "By Kami, I don't know."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sasuke sighed and saw that he was the first one to arrive at their morning meeting place. Once again he would be wearing the same thing as the day before; white shorts with the right thigh bandaged with his kunai holster attached to it. A dark blue short-sleeved shirt topped it with the Uchiha family fan design on the back of it. The Konoha hitai-ate wrapped around his head and he was wearing the usual blue issue ninja sandals.

He was on the bridge and leaning against the rail as he waited for his teammates to show up, and wondered if they had over slept. That was quickly answered as he heard them approaching from different directions, and he observed them quietly before turning away. Ever since he had been paired with them he had predicted that day that they would only hold him back, and so far they had proved him right, except for Naruto in some instances.

In their last mission, while they had succeeded in protecting their charge, Sasuke had fallen under Haku's skill. It was infuriating but he knew that he might have another shot at fighting the older boy during the Chunin Exam that the ninja from Suna had talked about.

During the mission to Wave country Zabuza had died, but not before ending Gato's life with his last bit of strength. It was fortunate for the boy that Kakashi had reacted quickly or else he'd also be dead. He had sustained a grave injury while trying to save Momochi. Afterwards Zabuza collapsed, and the bandits had run screaming for their lives when the villagers came to fight to protect their homes. Kakashi had then carried the mist Nukenin to where Haku lay.

The Uchiha sighed and leaned against the railing and lifted his face toward the sky. He remembered that Sakura had actually proven useful at the time and had tended to Haku's wounds after she had confirmed that Sasuke was fine.

He had watched from a distance as the man had made the boy promise that he'd live a better life, asking Kakashi to look after him if it were possible. Then Zabuza had died and Haku had wept before the exhaustion had caused him to pass out. He knew that it must have been hard to lose his precious person, since Sasuke had lost all he cared about in one fell swoop.

They had returned to Konoha when Haku recovered. He was wearing one of Naruto's bowered black under shirts and Sasuke had handed him an extra pair of white shorts when he had refused to wear Naruto's oranges pants. It had been amusing to see the look on the boy's face as the blonde had presented him with the pants and black shirt, but his incredulous look had mostly been concentrated on the pants.

He had tied his hair into a ponytail and kept his sandals but left the remains of his broken Oinin mask at Zabuza's grave. Sasuke been close enough to hear promise he made over the freshly disturbed ground where Kakashi had buried the man. His Zanbato had been driven into the head of the grave, and it was the only thing that showed that the Kirigakure no Kijin was buried there.

_'I'll return to die by your side.'_

When their entourage had arrived back at Konoha the chronic late Jonin had dismissed them and had taken the boy with him to see the Hokage. He didn't know the exact details of what had happened except that Haku had freely given them any information they asked of him. It seemed that there had been a lot of hatred toward people with the Kekkei Genkai in Kirigakure, after ninja were largely blamed for the civil war that ravaged the village.

After Haku had assured that they thought him dead, most likely frozen during a blizzard, the Sandaime had allowed the boy to stay against the protest of the council. He was put in the Academy under one of the Chunin's surveillance and had almost immediately been allowed to graduate. He was officially made a Konoha Genin, but it had been forbidden for his origins to be known by anyone besides the few that already knew.

Sasuke didn't really care enough to reveal it, but he couldn't say the same thing about Naruto, since most of the time he was a clueless moron. Sandaime had placed the boy with a family that was willing to take him in and they gave him their family name. He had even been given another first name and he had become Hideaki Takejiro. It would be impossible to trace him back to Kiri even if a ninja from there ever saw his abilities.

It had been almost three months now since they had returned from the country of waves, and the last Sasuke had heard is that he'd been placed in a team. The Hideaki family that had taken him in had two children already, twins. The oldest was a boy called Anzai and the younger twin was a girl called Sanako.

The former mist-nin was placed on the same team as them. Their Jonin instructor, Namiashi Raido specialized mostly as a bodyguard and for this very reason had been assigned to the team, since Haku might be targeted if his true identity was ever found out.

Because they had the same last name many that didn't know them thought they were siblings and they came to be known as the _'Hideaki Three'_.

Sasuke didn't know how the two Genin felt about having the boy on their team but he had caught a glimpse of them once. Anzai had been walking ahead with his hands stuffed into his pockets and his face twisted into anger. Sanako on the other hand was walking besides the newly named Takejiro and chatting to him as if she had known him for ages.

The Uchiha glanced at his own teammates, sighed and returned his gaze to the ever lightening sky above him. They had held him back a lot. Sakura had been more interested in trying to date him and Naruto had been too much of a failure to give him a good rivalry.

That had changed since Haku had come to live in Konoha. The blonde had been hanging out with the feminine looking ninja after their missions and it was apparent that they were training since he had gotten better.

Even Sakura had been friendly toward him and had seemed to have forgotten that he had tried to kill them. She had also improved her skills and had started to use the mind that she had always been praised for during her Academy days. Her sharp eyes had started to analyze situations and she'd learned to strategize better. Although there was still something that seemed to be holding her back and that could affect their teamwork.

Sasuke chuckled and wondered since when "teamwork" had interested him so much. All that had filled his mind for so long was revenge and nothing more. He only cared about getting stronger so he could accomplish his goal in life. That's all that mattered.

His eyes shifted to his two comrades as they spoke. Sakura had stopped wearing the red dress when she knew they had a mission, and now had on black pants and a long sleeved dark green shirt with a black sleeveless jacket over that where she carried scrolls, bandages and other useful first-aid supplies. She even had her long hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face.

Naruto of course hadn't changed his clothing any and still wore the loud orange. That wasn't the same for his skills since they had improved a lot since the mission to the waves. If what the sand-nin had said was true about the Chunin Exam, then maybe it would be more interesting than he would have first expected.

Kakashi arrived late as usual. His long sleeved dark blue shirt was worn underneath his green flak Chunin vest and that was accompanied with matching dark blue pants and sandals. His shock of silver hair flowed from around his hitai-ate at his forehead that was slanted to cover his left Sharingan eye. He hopped off the archway of the bridge where he had appeared at and smiled, but it was only seen as his right eye curved up since most of his face was covered by his cloth mask.

"Sorry I'm late, I lost myself on the road of life," he commented in a slight bored fashion that might have resembled Shikamaru.

"It's unbecoming for a Jonin to lie," Sakura commented with a roll of her teal eyes. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him all the same. "Now tell us why you had us get here so early only to be late yourself?"

The Copy-nin chuckled and waved his hand but didn't answer her question. "This is a bit sudden but I've recommended all three of you for the Chunin Exam." He handed them the forms. "I might have not done so before the mission to the land of waves, but all three of you have improved greatly."

Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura looked over the applications for a moment before looking at him for some kind of explanation. "Fill them out and turn them in to room 301 of the school by 4:00 pm six days from now. If you don't wish to compete, the exam is entirely voluntary." He shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "That is all!" he said before he vanished.

Naruto looked excited and Sasuke couldn't blame him since from what he had seen so far, there were sure to be strong ninja joining the exam this year. He already had his eye on the two from sand, and from what he had seen of the blonde's improvement, Haku wasn't the only one from Konoha he was looking forward to fighting.

They walked off in silence as Sakura studied the paper and Naruto seemed to be lost on his own thoughts. Sasuke turned to look at the orange clad ninja since he was being quieter than usual. He chose to ignore him for the moment.

His thoughts were on the black-haired sand-nin that had recognized his name. It was possible that she had merely heard of the Uchiha Clan as a lot of people had, but there had been something there that made him believe there was more to it. His eyes were another reason that made him think of his past.

'_Will you come back?'_

'_My nii-san will bring me back.'_

'_Promise?'_

'_I promise!'_

He shook his head and sighed. That had been many years ago and before the Uchiha Massacre, and besides that had been a little girl. She had resembled an Uchiha and her eyes had been rimmed with a blood red, Sharingan-like color.

During those times he had believed that his brother really was a good person since he had been the one that had played 'referee' between their squabbles, and there had been plenty of them. He knew that most of them ended in fights which he had usually won.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto's voice cut through his musings of the past and he turned to look at the pensive blonde. He was biting his lower lip and looking at him seriously.

The Uchiha knew not to disregard the Uzumaki when he was actually being serious. "What is it?" he asked, leaving out the insulting nickname.

He listened as he related what had happened yesterday after they had gone their separate ways. It was interesting but not that surprising. He had already gathered that the red head was a dangerous one that should not be taken lightly.

"He must be weak if he lets himself be treated like that," he commented about the dark haired shinobi. He turned away and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Naruto frowned and glared at the other's back. "No," he told him. "There was something strange about both of them, and he's not weak. He was fast, _very_ fast."

Sasuke thought that he might be telling the truth but he knew that he'd find out during the exam. He'd get a chance to see first hand the kind of speed and strength both sand ninja had.

Naruto folded his arms behind his head and also turned away then and seemed to lose interest. "I'm going to go train," he said and started to walk toward their regular training grounds. The Uchiha hesitated only a moment before following after him.

The pink haired kunoichi stared after her two teammates and then gazed in the direction of the Hokage Tower. Over the next six days many Genin teams from various villages would start to come to Konoha. When that time came her improved skills would be tested. All their skills would be put to the test.

She hurried after the two boys as the sun rose higher into the sky.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

'_**Earlier that day, an hour before dawn'**_

Gaara's lone figure stood on the rooftop of the ryokan they were staying at. Last nights events played out in his mind and he winced. He formed a seal before he moved his pointer and index fingers of the right hand over his left eye, and opened his left palm before him as he concentrated his Chakra.

'_Daisan no Me.'_ An eye formed within his palm, and when he was able to see himself from it he closed his hand and it turned into sand. The eye reformed on the ceiling of the room just under his feet as he maintained his fingers against his eye.

The room was dark but he was use to the darkness and his third eye was able to see the three futons on the floor. It disintegrated and reformed over the one in the middle and saw that his instincts were right about Amane and Iwane putting her in between them.

Her wounds had been treated but he saw the ugly bruises that had formed over her pale features. He felt the same pain in his chest that he had so long ago described to Yashamaru before his uncle had betrayed and tried to kill him. It was a dangerous feeling.

'_Your purpose is to kill, but won't she ultimately stand in the way of that?'_

Gaara banished the memory vehemently and let his sand seep into the room. It started to slip into her futon and cover her completely. When it started to move over her face it paused and quickly retreated.

She had been with him for so long, and he started to wonder how it would be without her afterwards. He started to wonder if he really had the courage to kill her now that she had become something for him. _'But what is she to me?'_ he wondered.

He could find no answer as he turned his face to the sky as it lightened. The third eye was dispelled as he crossed his arms over his chest. As he waited for the rest of the village to wake up the wind lifted the ends of his now almost shoulder length scarlet locks. The leaves picked up off the street below him and danced with the wind before they lifted too high for him to see anymore.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:**  
1. **Kami:** god; divine wind.  
2.**Kirigakure no Kijin:** _lit. _"Demon of the Hidden Mist"  
3. **dobe: **this is the name that Sasuke left off. Means dead last since Naruto was dead last in the scores at the Academy.  
4. **Daisan no Me:** Third Eye  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Seven**_


	9. Konoha Clans

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** Once again, this is dedicated to Gaara1Love, my only reviewer T.T Oh well! Enjoy!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Eight: Konoha Clans**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The young girl fought off the groan that wanted to escape her lips as she sat up. Eizan placed a hand against her body and frowned. _'Broken?'_ she wondered, but hoped that wasn't so. She didn't want to think that her ribs were broken so close to the exam.

She rose from her futon and headed toward the restroom without waking her teammates. When she closed the door she removed the white cotton nightgown she was wearing. It was obvious that she hadn't put it on and so she assumed that it had been Amane and Iwane that had changed her.

As she did remove it she paused as she noticed the bandages that covered her abdomen and sighed. She carefully removed them and cleaned herself off in the shower as the tub filled with warm water. While she soaked in the bath she thought back to the conversation that she'd had with Gaara before they had left.

She had sensed that day that something was off about him, and not only because of his sudden use of her name. There was something going on. Eizan just wished she understood him better to know what was bothering him.

She left the bathroom a few minutes later and saw that both girls had already woken up and they were at her side almost immediately. A smirk spread over her features as she realized that they were trying to baby her about being up so soon. When she held up her hands they were silent.

"I'm fine," she insisted as she walked to her pack and pulled out a comb. She passed it through her short and still damp ebony hair. "Now, I believe that yesterday's reconnaissance report is a bit overdue, wouldn't you say?"

They stepped forward and Amane was the first to start. "I scouted toward the woods on the western side. In the woods I overhead a conversation of a Genin team, and they were speaking of a rookies from their village joining the Chunin exam this year." She continued on when the younger girl nodded.

The Itagaki had always thought of the shorter sand-nin as their unofficial leader because she was more skilled then they were, despite being younger. That's why she reported to her and followed her orders. They were shinobi and thus were to be commanded by those that were stronger.

"Apparently one of the teams has Hatake Kakashi as its' Jonin instructor."

Eizan's hand paused as she was about to put down the comb and she straightened to looked at her. "Hatake Kakashi, the 'Copy Ninja'?" she muttered and frowned as she replaced the comb in her pack. She turned her back on them and removed the Yukata that was provided to them by the Inn.

She was only wearing boxers and the girls saw that the smoothness of her back was only marred by a long jagged scar across her upper left side. During the Chunin exam that her brother had participated in she had accompanied him on one of his training sessions. Her abilities had manifested and she'd burnt down a few trees but one of them had fallen on her.

The jagged end of a broken branch had impaled her through the back and come out of her shoulder just missing her heart. It was a miracle that she hadn't been killed, and the young Arisa had never seen him as scared as he rushed her to the Konoha hospital.

Iwane leaned against the wall next to the restroom as she spoke up. "Isn't it said that he's copied over a thousand jutsu?" she asked as she yawned. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before bending down to pick up her pack.

"Dibs on the shower, Ake-kun." Amane gave her a glare as she used the old nickname, but she only smirked. "Also, I discovered that it was true what Enoki-sensei said about there being a clan of beetle users in this village."

Eizan sat on the bed after she had pulled on her pants and her chain mail shirt, protective vest and top shirt. She leaned back on her arms as she rested her hands on either side of her on the bed, crossing one leg over the other. "I have some information on the five main villages. When I found out Konoha was announced as the host for this years' exam I searched through what I had on the leaf," she commented as she let her gaze drift to the ceiling. "Apparently there is quite a bit of famous clans in this village alone and among them the Aburame clan, which is said to be a clan that uses bugs."

She grinned at them suddenly. "Another clan is the Uchiha, and sole possessors of the Sharingan," she said and held up a hand when the girls were surprised. They had most likely remembered that Sasuke had the same surname. "Also, it seems this is also the home of one of the most prestigious families, the Hyuuga and natural born heirs to the Byakugan."

"The Byakugan?" Amane spoke up and she recalled hearing about the Hyuuga clan from their instructor when she had been training with him on the side to develop her skills as a silent assassin. "Isn't that the type of eye that is said to have an unmatched field of vision?"

Eizan sighed and let her body fall on the bed. They hadn't used it since they didn't want to become accustomed to sleeping on it because constant missions forced them to sleep on the ground most of the time. That's another reason she slept in the wall of her home or in the living room in a futon.

Although right now she was feeling dizzy and didn't care about anything than stopping the room from spinning. She regretted having returned to the ryokan so soon last night, but knew that it might have been worse if she hadn't done so. "Hai, and I hear the eyes can see the tenketsu," she commented.

Iwane frowned. "The tenketsu?" she mumbled to herself, thinking back to her Academy days before she brought her fist against her left palm as she remembered. "Oh, the 361 chakra holes located all over your Keirakukei?"

Amane crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at Eizan. "What I want to know is how _you_ know all this," she said. A frown crossed her face as she watched the short haired girl fall back onto the bed. They had both realized that she'd be in pain for a while, and that she might not be able to lift her arms to a certain height without experiencing pain.

Eizan smirked since she knew that the other would realize that she knew a bit too much for someone at her level, despite being skilled. She folded her arms behind her head with only a slight grimace as she let her legs hand over the side of the bed.

"You remember the Nukenin that attacked the village?" she asked them and when they nodded she turned her gaze back to the ceiling. "When my fire takes something, I get all the memory from it."

Amane and Iwane were dumbstruck for a moment and the wind user was the first to respond. "You mean all it experiences goes into your mind?" Eizan nodded. "Wouldn't it be too much information?" Eizan took that time to sit up since her sight had stabilized.

"No because the information is absorbed into my mind so fast that I am able to eliminate anything that isn't useful." She quickly put on her black sandals and stood. "Of course, that's a bit hard when dealing with a ninja since they know a lot of jutsu that could be useful. Anyway, the Nukenin that I killed fought against a Hyuuga once."

"His teammate fought against him and it's the reason he wasn't killed as well. The Hyuuga pressed all of his tenketsu and stopped the flow of his chakra." She glanced toward the window as a bit of sunlight started to spill into the room.

"Anything else?" When they shook their heads she nodded and put on her hitai-ate. "Then I'm off to report to Gaara-dono. We'll meet in an hour on the same roof as yesterday. Ja!" She faded in the fire that surrounded her.

The two girls looked at each other and started their morning routine as Iwane took the shower first while Amane gathered her stuff and contemplated how to get breakfast. However, her mind was on Eizan and the fact that she could return to Gaara as if nothing had happened. It infuriated her but knew that Eizan would never let herself be convinced to be parted from him. For now she could do nothing but only wished that she wouldn't regret her lack of action in the future.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gaara didn't turn to look at Eizan as she appeared behind him and kneeled. The sun had started to rise in the eastern sky and light up the roof and so the bruises would be more visible, but he didn't want to look. Most likely she was here to report yesterdays' events since he had knocked her out last night.

He held back a grimace as he thought of that and merely listened as she spoke. The information gathered was interesting, especially the part about that Uchiha Sasuke they had met the other day. _'A Kekkei Genkai? Sounds interesting.' _

The red head knew quite a bit of them since Eizan had one, and she also spent a lot of her time trying to learn anything she could about others with such abilities. Also, he knew the abilities that she possessed and knew that most likely she had attained some of this information from someone she had killed. He wondered if it had been the Nukenin.

After the report he never said anything to her and only dismissed her with a nod, but this time he only stared off ahead of him. He thought back the last few years and realized that he'd hardly ever spoken to her in all the time that they had been together. Mostly, she was the one that had always done the talking and he listened.

He turned to study her kneeling figure for a moment as he noticed that her face was directed toward the ground. Gaara frowned and wondered when their relationship had taken this turn.

Then he realized that they had never really had a relationship. He told her what to do and she did it. It was almost like she was a puppet that he controlled and when he pulled a string she moved.

Gaara frowned darkly. He didn't like that example very much.

The Suna-nin moved to stand just in front of her and he saw as she tensed her whole body. Again, a frown twisted his normally scowling features and wondered what she expected him to do. _'Does she see me now as a monster as everyone else?'_ he wondered. For some reason it caused his chest to hurt. It was the same pain he had experienced when Yashamaru had betrayed him.

He wouldn't blame her if she did. It's most likely what she expected of him just as he treated her as nothing but a mere tool that killed whom he told her to and strike where he instructed. "Go," he said as he turned his back on her.

Eizan hesitated a moment and then nodded. "Hai!" She left as quickly as she had arrived and he turned his face toward the western sky that was still dark, but as the sun rose it would lighten more.

During his youth he had wanted someone to be able to light up his dark heart as the sun lights up the sky. He realized that only two times had that happened, when Yashamaru had told him he was someone important to him and when Eizan had asked him to come into her home. Her house had been empty and dark then as it was then.

When Yashamaru had betrayed him he had come to the conclusion that he couldn't trust anyone, especially her. He had been fully prepared to kill her that night and had enveloped her within the sand, but the image of her jumping in front of that attack had made him stop.

The sight of the kunai sticking out of her back had almost made him believe that she truly wanted to be his friend, but he had blocked it from his mind. At the time, he had decided to let her remain at his side simply because she might become useful to him in the future.

As time progressed, he had merely thought of her as something that was always there, but the night she had shown up late for the report, he had snapped. Even now, he couldn't understand what had driven him to hurt her like that, or the events that had happened afterwards as she had been unconscious.

He had awoken to find her passed out at his side again and he could tell that she had done the binding spell on him so he could regain some form of control over Shukaku. Then he'd lifted her off the ground and taken her inside and cleaned and dressed his wounds. He had actually looked away as he had dressed her.

She was doing strange things to him that he didn't want to delve into too deeply, but knew he had to put a stop to it, especially after what had happened yesterday. He had been able to tell that she had been ignoring the blonde, but all he had seen was the way he had been chattering away to her in that friendly manner.

It had made his blood boil and did the only thing he could do, and that was to hurt her. Since it would jeopardize the mission and his plans, he couldn't attack a Konoha ninja. No matter how badly he had wanted to break his neck.

Then neither had seen his face go slack with shock as Eizan had jumped in to protect him even after what he'd done. _'__Dosh'te__'_ he wondered. This went beyond that pledge of loyalty she had made all those years ago that meant nothing to him. Her oath of fidelity had endured years of silence, coldness, and now abuse. _'Why is she still at my side?'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When she had left the roof, she hadn't returned to the room and walked along the street. Many often confused her for a boy and so she didn't get any stares for having her face banged up.

She ambled along with her hands stuffed into her pockets and realized that she found this street familiar. A quick glance around made her realize that she'd never been here before and so concluded that it most likely had to do with her brother's memories.

Eizan had already learned that she could only take the memories of a living body and certain inanimate objects. So, most likely he had been alive even after he had been crushed as the roof came down. The thought made her shudder before she pushed it out of her mind.

His were the only memories that she had kept completely and that was one of the reasons that she had remembered meeting Sasuke and Itachi. The memories she had gotten from him had made her recall hers. She hadn't reviewed most of his memories and those that she had were all after he had graduated from the Academy.

She had gotten to where she had experienced most of the exam he had taken, and even if she knew that keeping all this information would damage her mind, she didn't care. It was the only thing she had left of him. Besides, her chakra was strange and besides a few headaches, she didn't seem too affected by the information taken in.

The Ashikaga slipped into a nearby restaurant to eat and ordered something. As she waited for her meal she contemplated on what was to come. It was obvious that she would struggle with her injury when the exam started, but she knew she had to enter it.

From her brother's memory, she had been able to observe a lot of ninja but mostly Uchiha Itachi. Her nii-san had watched Itachi closer than any other shinobi, and it was no wonder since he had been skilled far beyond his years. That was how she'd been able to perfect the Housenka no Jutsu, and then teach herself the Gokakyu no Jutsu just by reviewing his memories of the exam. There were other techniques that she had learned from observing the exam, but she hadn't used them in combat yet.

When her parents and her brother had died then she had convinced herself that she had nothing more to live for. She sought death but had always been too much of a coward to do it herself. That had all changed when Gaara had come into her life and while the first years had been the happiest for her, she realized that they were gone now. He wasn't the same person anymore, and gradually he had started to get worse so that he was turning more into the monster that was living inside of him.

Once she had asked him why he relied so much on his sand, but he'd become angered and so she hadn't brought it up again. When he'd lost control and he had attacked her she had told him not to tell the biju control him before losing herself in unconsciousness.

It might have been almost amusing to realize that she passed out a lot when around him. However, it was due to using too much chakra since she always wanted to train her body past its limit or used a lot when binding Shukaku. As time went by, she knew that it would require less of her energy, but she only hoped that he learned how to control it better by that time.

She hadn't realized she had finished eating until she looked down into an empty rice bowl, and then she quickly paid and left the shop. Her thoughts were still troubled but there was nothing she could do at the moment to resolve them. It seemed that love was complicated that way, but she wasn't sure since she'd never been in love until now. She only hoped it didn't get more complicated than it already was. However, she knew that fate always seemed to go against her wishes at times.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane and Iwane left the room and arrived at the roof to find that Eizan was already there. Her back was to them and she was looking off as she had been yesterday, but she was strangely quiet. They let her have her moment since she was their friend, and they had made an oath to protect one another with their lives. Besides, both of them considered her as the one to take charge of their cell when Enoki wasn't around.

"Did you know that my brother took his Chunin Exam in this very same village?" she asked them but didn't wait for them to respond. They wouldn't have said anything since she hardly ever revealed her past to them and so wanted to hear more. "In the same exam there was a Genin that participated by the name of Uchiha Itachi. They never fought against one another but he watched him through the entire exam."

Her hands clenched into fists at her side, closing her eyes to keep tears from rolling down her face. "He promised that one day he'd fight against him before becoming a Jonin." A laugh left her lips but it was bitter and seemed to shake her lithe figure as if she were sobbing. "Then I killed him and took away his dreams."

Iwane and Amane glanced at one another. They were sure how to respond to that, and were worried since they had never heard her voice take on that tone before. She had never really of the night her family had perished in the fire. It was evident that Gaara had become more unstable over the last few months and so she had as well.

Now they were in the village that her brother had taken his Chunin exam and it was having a strong effect on her emotions. It had been clear to the kunoichi that her family and her brother especially were a taboo subject, and so they didn't know how to respond to her words.

They found that they didn't need to say anything as she turned and grinned at them in that rare show of emotion. However, they could tell that she was holding back tears and clinging to that last bit of sanity that still existed somewhere in her mind. The girls knew from experience that Gaara had most likely already lost his somewhere in the last few years, and they could only imagine the circumstances.

Both girls wondered how one dealt with the knowledge that they were in love with a deranged killer. And that no matter what the outcome or his actions you had to follow him, even if he were to march straight into the bowels of hell.

"I guess there's nothing more we can do but train until the exam starts. Let's go," she said. She jumped off the roof and they didn't hesitate before going after her. If indeed she were to follow Gaara straight into hell, then they would be right by her side until the end.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Enoki was resting against the wall outside of Baki's room when the older man exited into the hall but he didn't glance at him as he turned to look down the hall where the stairs would lead down to the first floor. While the two men had never seen eye to eye, they knew that for now they had no choice but to cooperate. This Chunin Exam would change everything for Sunagakure.

"She's in top shape," Enoki told him. He didn't know too much of the plan beyond the invasion or he might have been one of the ones that would have objected.

Baki had one side of his face covered so when he smirked the other man wasn't able to see it since his view was of the covered half. "Nothing has changed," he said.

Enoki nodded slightly. The curtain of a nearby window fluttered in as the wind picked up, and when it came back down the hall was empty.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:**  
1. **Yukata:** a light cotton kimono which is usually worn in summer, but is often provided by hotels in lieu of a bathrobe.  
2. **Sharingan:** _lit._ Copy Wheel Eye; can copy anything that isn't derived from a Kekkei Genkai.  
4. **Byakugan:** _lit._ "White Eyes"; occurs naturally in all Hyuuga clan members and has a 360 degree field of vision, except for a tiny blind spot behind the first thoracic vertebra and said to be the only weakness of the Byakugan.  
5. **tenketsu:** 361 points located in the Keirakukei, their width is as small as a needle; if hit accurately you can stop or increase the enemy's flow of chakra; only the Byakugan can see them.  
6. **Keirakukei:** chakra circulatory system; it's a bundle of pipes that circulate chakra through the body like blood vessels; it's closely intertwined with the internal organs that mold chakra; so if it's attacked you will take damage to internal organs as well.  
7. **Ja:** short for Ja ne, which an informal way to say goodbye, "see ya" or "see you later".  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**_End Chapter Eight_**


	10. Clam Before The Exam

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** Once again, dedicated to my sole reviewer and the one that reviewed first! You know who you are...it's not that difficult to tell by the reviews -.-' lol, anyway! It'll **really **start getting interesting right around here and a bit of Amane and Iwane's past will be revealed in the chapters to come, so watch out. Any graphic stuff will be edited here, but can be viewed on mediaminer under the same pen name. That's all. Enjoy the chapter!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Nine: Calm Before The Exam**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

His body heaved as he took in a labored breath and made a last ditch effort to throw the kunai he had been holding, but it missed the target and hit the tree it was hanging from. Then he gracelessly fell flat on his back, as a loud frustrated groan escaped his lips so the birds in the nearby branches took flight.

He remained where he had fallen for several seconds and watched the sky over head as it started to darken. Already he could make out the stars that had started to bleed in spots across the gathering blackness. There had been no mission with the upcoming Chunin exam and so the day had been long and solitary, which hadn't happened for a while.

Since the cells had been formed he had found that the company of his teammates had comforted him, and he had wondered since when he'd started to think that. Before he hadn't care too much, and had even considered their company a nuisance. Naruto had at first annoyed him with his boasting of how he was just as good as him, but he had matured a lot. Sakura's crush had been exasperating and unwanted love, but now she had completely backed off to no more than a teammate's concern. He could honestly admit that with them around he didn't feel so empty.

A laugh escaped him at the thought since that had been the way he had been for so long following his clan's slaughter. The time right after had been the hardest for him, especially as people spoke about it in whispers when they thought he couldn't hear, but he had heard it all.

He'd be started at as he passed by and some had given him sympathetic smiles and tried to treat him kindly, but he hated them because all of it was fake. They were all fakes. It was during that time he had sworn that he'd make someone pay for his pain. Obviously, his hateful thoughts had turned toward his brother who had been the cause of his suffering.

During one of those lonely days he had encountered the blonde that would one day become his teammate. He had been sitting on the dock where he had practiced so hard to do the Gokakyu no Jutsu when his parents had still been alive.

In those times the only problem he had was trying to make his father as proud of him just like he was of Itachi. To have him say, _'You are indeed my son'_ as he had always said to his older brother. In those days, everything had been so much simpler and he thought that they would continue as such, but it had not been meant to be.

When he had been able to complete the jutsu his father had spoken those words that he had longed to hear, _'You are my child, after all.'_ Sasuke had been so happy to hear him say that, but then had said something that had confused him.

_'Don't follow the same path as Itachi.'_ He didn't understand then what his father had seen, and had realized that while he knew what Itachi was becoming, he hadn't wanted to admit it. Itachi had always been his pride and joy but the hate and treachery that he must have seen in his eyes had been as real as his skills as a genius of the Uchiha clan.

While contemplating that day he had felt eyes upon him. He had turned and had expected to find one of the villagers with their sympathetic stares, but he had caught sight of blonde hair and blue eyes. Uzumaki Naruto, the pariah of Konoha. It wasn't a secret that the boy was hated by the entirety of the village for reasons that even he didn't understand.

They locked gazes and then both of them turned away after contemptuous looks, but Sasuke hadn't been able to keep the smile from gracing his features. The Uzumaki understood the meaning of loneliness as well as he did and so he had smiled in relief since he wasn't the only one that was in pain.

Uchiha Sasuke sighed and sat up as he ruffled his hair with his hand to try and remove the grass and dirt that had latched onto the ebony strands. Then he stood and cleaned off his white shorts and dark blue shirt with the Uchiha fan proudly displayed on its back.

As he was gathering up his equipment, he let his mind wander to the Suna-nin that they had encountered the other day and wondered if he would have a chance to fight against them. The only ones that he was interested in were Sabaku no Gaara, the other Suna shinobi who had refused to give his name, and Haku. He would soon have his chance since the Exam started tomorrow.

He finished storing his equipment back into their place and started to leave the clearing he had been training in, but paused. Sasuke felt the flare of chakra signatures near by in what might have been a battle, or training. After a moment he started to move in that direction, since he was interested in finding out who was still out now that the sun had already set.

When he was within hearing range he stopped and tried to hear anything, but he only heard the sounds of fighting. He didn't want to get any closer or they would feel his presence. If that happened then they might leave or maybe attack him.

However, he suddenly heard an exclamation and it was followed by two thuds and recognized it as two people falling and hitting the ground. It stopped after that and then he could barely make out labored breathing, and he dared to approach a bit more.

He caught sight first of the boy that had refused to give him his name and then in front of him were the other two. The teammates were picking themselves up from where they had landed. Sasuke knew when they had realized he was there as he saw the leader glance up at him, and then the other two were in front of him a heartbeat later and glaring in his direction.

The Uchiha stepped into view and the trees cast most of his features and body in shadow. They looked like they might attack him, but a word from whom he assumed was the leader, and they stepped back but continued to glare at him. He imagined that if looks could kill, he would have already been dead a thousand times over. Although, he dismissed them and turned his attention to the one that was behind them, since he was the only one he was interested in.

"Who are you?" Sasuke repeated. His eyes dared him to refuse him an answer again.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan had been the first to sense the presence, since Amane had been too absorbed in the fight to hear him, and Iwane's back had been turned in his direction. They were in front of them in the next second as Sasuke showed himself after having been lurking in the shadows.

She had known it was him since she knew how stubborn he could be, and that he might find her in the days until the exam started. He had most likely been training near by and felt their chakra from the jutsu they'd been using, and came to investigate.

The girls looked ready to attack him, but she knew that it wouldn't be wise or they might get disqualified. "Tomare," she said with a sigh. She stretched one arm over her head carefully followed by the other, and was able to keep the grimace off her face. It wouldn't be a good thing to let the Uchiha know that she was injured, and thus at a disadvantage in the days to follow.

Sasuke ignored the others and turned his focus toward her, once again asking for her to identify her. She couldn't keep the smirk off her face and knew that he wouldn't be able to remember her brother's name. Eizan doubted that he even remembered anything but her nickname at the time.

She started to gather her equipment instead of answering him and after a minute he seemed to grow impatient and he stepped toward her. The kunoichi made him stop short as they formed seals to indicate he was in danger if he came any closer.

"You are far too impatient, Uchiha-san," she said as she shook her head, clucking her tongue against the roof of her mouth in a disappointed manner. It was amusing to see the slight show of annoyance on his face.

Eizan finished gathering their things and opened the girl's holsters and slipped in their weapons, and they made no move to take their eyes off of him. She came to stand in between them and rested one arm against Amane's right shoulder and her other arm on Iwane's left shoulder, and leaned against them as she smiled at Sasuke. "Since you will find out sooner or later, I'll give you my name."

Her gaze locked on his face and his features seemed frozen in contempt as he waited. She almost laughed as she pulled away from her comrades and turned as she walked away. "The name is Ashikaga Eizan," she responded when it appeared she would leave without answering.

A hand was lifted over her head as she waved farewell to him without turning around. The two girls glared at him once more before they hurried after her. They soon disappeared from his sight and into the gathering darkness.

Eizan brought her arm back against her body as she grimaced and sighed. She could lift her arms but if she did it too fast then it sent a sharp pain through her. It would be a hindrance after the first part of the exam.

Since she had absorbed her brother's memory of the Chunin Exam taken at Konoha, she knew that the first part of the exam was a written test. She wondered if the examiner was the same or if it would be different. Just in case it was, she had informed her teammates of this and made sure to include this in tonight's report to Gaara.

Eizan stopped suddenly and looked up at the darkened sky and realized that she was late. "Don't wait up for me," she told them and disappeared into the trees quickly. Amane and Iwane glanced at each other before they made their way back to the ryokan.

The Ashikaga was hoping over the rooftops a few minutes later and was trying to pinpoint the red head's exact location. She was shocked as the sand suddenly rose up in front of her, and caught her in mid air. The first thing that went through her mind was terror as she was being forced down onto a rooftop below.

Her eyes closed instinctively and after a moment when nothing happened, she opened them again. She found herself face to face with Gaara and gasped. "Sumimasen, Gaara-dono," she hurried to tell him, closing her eyes in anticipation. "I just returned from training!"

For a few breath-taking moments there was only the shifting of the sand around her but it didn't move to crush her. She had never cared about death, and had already decided that she'd give her life to him if it pleased him. So, her fear had confused her at first.

Eizan realized then that she was scared to be left alone, and that he wouldn't kill her but send her from his side. That terrible loneliness was more terrified to her than anything. She'd have no meaning in life and become the empty shell that she'd been when she had met him. She preferred death than having to return to that type of life.

"I know," he finally responded. Her eyes snapped open and locked on his face. The anger and hate she expected wasn't there that she'd seen more and more over the last year.

She tilted her head to the side to study him for a moment when he turned away. There was a strange expression on his face. The fire wielder had noticed something amiss with him lately, but she hadn't been able to identify yet what it was. It seemed to be eating away at him, and she only hoped it didn't deplete the control he had on his already fragile mind.

The kunoichi wished she could help, but he'd never tell her anything. He never told anyone anything and suffered the pain alone. Gaara thought that he couldn't trust anyone, and Eizan wished he could realize that she'd do anything to make him happy.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gaara had watched the sun set in the western sky, and it had looked as if it'd been on fire. It was during this time that he was reminded of Eizan the most because she was the fire itself. Lately, however, he had seen her eyes turn more dull and sad every time she looked at him. It was almost like the fire inside her died.

He wondered if he'd done that to her, and knew he had. If he had indeed made her very nature wither and die, then he asked himself why she was still with him. Again, he had no answer for this question.

When the sky had completely darkened he glanced up and realized that she still wasn't here for the report. Before, he had never cared whether she had shown up or not, but over the past year he'd started to note if she was late. He'd started to become angry if she ever spoke to someone he didn't like.

Just as he'd become angry when Uchiha Sasuke had asked her who she was, but she had refused to give him her name. Most likely it had been because she had noticed his expression since he'd seen her eyes shift toward him before she had answered.

Gaara had also noticed that his anger was only when she spoke or interacted with males and not females. He didn't care if she was with her teammates, but he was a bit uneasy about the Erizawa at times for some reason. He couldn't properly understand feelings well so he didn't know what to call it.

The night she arrived late after her training she had told him that it had run late, but he knew that she had finished it more than half an hour earlier. She had never lied to him before but that's not the reason he'd become angry. It was because he had imagined whom she could have been with. He didn't even like it when she stayed training more than usual with her Jonin instructor but he knew that she didn't have a choice there.

He'd even threatened Kankurou with death a few times when he had only glanced in her direction. Both his siblings knew that Eizan was off limits for them, and only he was allowed to speak to her. It worked well since the girl never so much as looked in their direction.

The sand wielding ninja knew her loyalty was unrivaled, and didn't need to threaten her with death for her to do something, but even so he'd never trusted her. Over the years he'd grown colder and had started to speak even less to her, and even if he tried to dismiss it, he had seen changes in her as well. Her eyes had lost her vitality they once had and every time she looked at him there was a strain on her features as if she was in pain.

Gaara felt her presence and his sand had automatically struck out at his desire to have her before him. It had grabbed her and brought her in front of him, and he'd seen that her ebony orbs had been closed. When she had opened them, she had gasped in shock.

The fear he saw in her wide eyes before they closed again caused a pain to grip his chest. Her panicked voice stilled his tongue for several seconds and he didn't know what to say. She'd never reacted in such a way, but he couldn't say he blamed her.

"I know," he told her after several seconds. Her eyes opened in shock and he stopped the sigh that threatened to leave his lips. He wondered how he'd allowed the monster inside to control him. Although, he still refused to rethink his decision. If he didn't have his purpose in life then it was like being dead.

He felt alive when he took life, but this person suspended before him didn't seem to fit into that part of his life. She was useless to him and things that were not needed had to be disposed of.

After a few moments, he released her and turned away as he heard her fall. He waited and soon she started her report, telling him that training had been going good and also about what the first part of the exam might consist of. When she spoke of the chance meeting with Sasuke, the same dark anger came when she informed him that he had asked her for a name again. "And what did you say to him?" he asked her, still looking away from her.

Her moment of hesitation answered his question before she responded in a quiet voice. "I told him." He was able to hear the slight tremor in her tone, most likely because his own voice had perhaps sounded angered.

She had always been able to read the very faint expression he happened to give off. He had never been able to understand her or the way she'd stuck to him all these years.

For him, the promise she'd made the night Yashamaru had betrayed him had been insignificant to him. That night after she'd departed to her empty house he had fully expected for her to never approach him again, and then he would enjoy killing her.

However, it'd been a complete surprise when she had been waiting for him outside his house with all her hair chopped off. He hardly slept and had spent the night on the roof. That would be the last time that he would ever return to that place, which only him and Yashamaru had occupied since before he could remember.

Shortly after their meeting, he celebrated his seventh birthday and she started in the Ninja Academy, which Gaara had already been attending since he had turned six years old. It was customary for her to join the class that had just started, but she had insisted that she be placed in his.

They refused her at first but she had pressed the issue and insisting that she was on the same level. Gaara had watched her and after getting tired of hearing her arguing with the instructor he had told the Chunin teacher to just let her join the class. After that, there had been no further argument. Apparently being the Kazekage's son had some quirks, but not that he cared.

Then there had been the incident with her carving the kanji for love on her chest. The wound had been bleeding, and she'd held the bloodied kunai in her hand. Gaara had recalled when Yashamaru had demonstrated to him about pain before he cut his finger to show him the blood.

That was blood that he'd never shed and something angered him at the time upon seeing hers and he had lashed out at her. While he hadn't realized it then, that was a time he realized something very important about his promise to kill the girl when she became useless to him.

They had graduated from the Academy when he had been eleven years old and she was ten. It would have been easy for them to graduate earlier but neither had ever revealed their abilities to any of the instructors. So they had sat through the classes that showed them practical things needed to be a ninja. Eizan had paid attention to the history of the other villages and of any information the teacher had of Kekkei Genkai.

A few days after becoming Genin, their Chunin instructor had been found dead. Or they assume it was him because his body had been burned to a crisp, and from the looks of it, he had still been alive.

No one tried to investigate the murder and when Gaara had asked her if she had killed him she had only given him a strained smile and nodded. He hadn't asked her why she'd killed him but after he found out about the assassins she'd told him that the Chunin teacher had tried to kill her. The Oinin hadn't shown up and she'd been forced to kill him herself.

Gaara realized then that she couldn't be useful to him since killing seemed to bother her. That was also when he learned that she absorbed the memories of objects and people she killed with her fire.

Over the years she had improved it since when her abilities had first started to manifest, the exchange of information had been too much and she could not filter out any of it. So it bombarded her and she became paralyzed for several seconds. After her first kill she had learned that it was a bit more difficult to filter them out as easily since they had a lifetime of memories.

After he'd figured out that the assassins were after her, he started to realize that they didn't come as often as before. The year after they graduated he had only counted two that attempted on his life but from Eizan's report she had been visited by at least five assassins. This had puzzled him since he had thought that the Kazekage would try harder to kill him.

He came to the conclusion that his dear father had thought that with the girl under his command he would be even more dangerous, and harder to control. So, if he could not kill Gaara, then killing Eizan would be the next best thing. The only thing the Kazekage hadn't realized was that most of them had been stopped by that mysterious Anbu, who had become Oinin.

Gaara was brought back to the present, and to the fact that he hadn't responded to her answer for a while. He could tell that her body was tensed within the sand, and he actually sighed softly before relaxing his arms so they fell at his side. "Go get some rest. The Chunin Exam is tomorrow."

He sensed her hesitation before she rose to her feet but didn't leave. "I shouldn't have given him my name," she said, almost like she was talking to herself. Her voice was quiet but didn't shake and he was almost relieved.

Lately, her voice would shake so break with fear when she thought he was angry. It seemed that he had started to read her better, but he regarded that as a bad thing. He wasn't suppose to find it easy to read her because that meant that he understood what she was thinking, and he didn't want that.

He turned to look at her, and his turquoise eyes narrowed as she stepped back. "I told you to _go_," he hissed. She lowered her face with an expression of sadness, which he had not seen in a long time. With a word of apology, she was gone but he could tell that she wasn't heading toward the Inn.

The direction she was heading in was the forest. He frowned angrily before he moved to follow her, but made sure to keep his presence hidden since she seemed to know his chakra. The anger that he felt when she spoke to another male manifested inside of him again.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She left Gaara's side reluctantly, but she'd seen the look in his eyes. He wanted her to leave. So, she had left but hadn't headed to the ryokan as he'd instructed. She felt like letting off some steam.

It had been foolish of her to tell Sasuke her name. She'd allowed her past with him to cloud her judgment, but she wanted to see if she could get any information out of him as to what had happened during the Uchiha Massacre.

Eizan had never believed Itachi to be capable of such a thing, and wanted to know what Sasuke believed. She wanted to know if he saw his Aniki as a murderer as he'd been labeled by his village. The thought filled her with sorrow.

She entered the cover of the trees and her figure was consumed by the darkness as a sigh left her body. It was obvious that Amane and Iwane had as she'd instructed and had returned to the Inn. For a moment, she wondered if they'd go to bed without her since she'd told them not to wait up on her.

Moving deeper inside, she began to train. Normally, she always made sure to cover all the areas when training, but right now she needed to release some tension so she concentrated on taijutsu.

The Exam was tomorrow and she could do nothing but move her body at the moment, pushing it to the limits of her abilities. As she trained, the night grew darker and cooler around her, and soon she couldn't see anything. She still continued on and somehow managed to avoid the trees that surrounded her.

The kunoichi hadn't stretched before she started but she didn't need to since she had just finished training not even twenty minutes ago. Now her muscles felt like they were on fire, but still she continued to push her self until a fine layer of perspiration covered her entire body and she was brought down to her knees.

She was resting on her hands and knees and took in ragged breaths as she could do nothing but remain where she was. Her eyes lifted as she heard someone step out of the shadows. Gaara's figure loomed over her as his expressionless face peered down at her.

_'Don't look at me with such cold eyes,'_ she silently pleaded. Her limbs buckled and gave way so she met the cool ground below her. "I guess...I wasn't ready to go to bed just yet," she gasped instead, coughing before resting her face against the ground. She closed her dark orbs as he moved closer and she sighed. "Sumimasen, Gaara-dono."

After a moment, she felt arms lift up her slender body. She opened her eyes as the stars overhead spun out of control. He didn't speak as he carried her through the forest and then as they emerged to enter the village. She could only stare up at the crescent moon and glance at his features once in a while, but averted her eyes as her face flushed in embarrassment and glad for the darkness.

The times that he'd lifted her and held her in his arms like this, she had been unconscious, and she thought that he used his sand. Now, she could almost remember the feel of his arms around her, and their warmth seeping into her flesh so she shivered.

His eyes shifted to her face and she glanced away as she bit her lip but said nothing since saying anything would only have ruined the moment. It was rare when he showed her tenderness while she was awake.

Eizan chanced a look at his face and saw that his eyes hadn't strayed from her face. She suddenly saw that kindness there once more. Her mouth parted in slight surprise because it had been too long since she'd seen it. For a while, she had wondered if perhaps it had finally died.

The Ashikaga knew that the look was one of the things she had grown to love about him. That even after everything he had gone through there was still that last shred of humanity there, and that was what she wanted to save about him so that he wouldn't become an empty shell. It didn't matter if he ever loved her back, as long as he was better than he was now. As long as _he_ was happy.

They arrived at the Inn too soon and she was being set on her feet at the door to her room, but she had to lift her hand to support her exhausted body, wincing only slightly now at the ache of her ribs. They had a week to heal, but it wasn't enough, and even if he'd been the cause of it she didn't blame him. She knew it had been her fault for speaking with Uzumaki Naruto. The blonde was also responsible since he hadn't taken a hint and left her alone.

She fumbled with the door a moment and as she did, she suddenly felt hands grab her and spin her around. Before Eizan realized what was happening she was being pinned roughly against the wall as she groaned slightly in pain. Her wide eyes flicked to her assailant as his turquoise orbs narrowed.

The kunoichi could do nothing as he leaned toward her and her mind went blank. _'Nani?'_ Her breath hitched in her throat as her heart beat accelerated. At the last possible moment he shifted and she felt his face against her neck as he inhaled deeply to take in her scent.

She knew she reeked of sweat, but didn't dare speak a word at the moment. His mouth was pressed against her ear when he spoke. "What are you _doing_ to me?" he growled quietly as she shuddered, and felt her eyes slide closed. His hands held her against the wall as his fingers bit harshly into her flesh.

Then he released her so quickly it was as if she had burned him, and turned his back to her. "Get some rest," he muttered after a few moments. Then he flickered and was gone in his sand.

Her body slid to the floor as she wondered what had happened. Gaara had never done anything like that before, and when he grabbed her she had expected him to strike her. What he'd done had been even more shocking, and even now she couldn't forget the sight of him leaning into her so she had felt his body against her own.

Eizan's whole body was shaking and she ran a trembling hand through her short hair as she fell back against the wall. After several long moments she finally rose to her feet and slumped against the door before fumbling with the knob once again.

She paused before opening it and rested her forehead against its cool, uncomfortable surface. A blush worked its way over her features as she smiled before she cracked the door open and slipped into the darkened room. She didn't know what had happened, but she felt a bit of hope paint over the despair in her heart.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_**1 July **_

The day was bright and pleasant as the Genin teams made their way to the school where the first part of the Chunin Exam would take place. All the teams were mingled ranging from Amegakure, Kusagakure, Takigakure and many from Konohagakure. There were also a few from Sunagakure and a single team from the newly erected Otogakure.

The building that the teams were supposed to head to was starting to get crowded. Everyone was eyeing each other up as they entered the school and also taking in their surroundings. It wasn't even three o'clock but a lot of the Genin were anxious to start, or perhaps just nervous.

A figure was moving over the rooftops, two others following after with the same speed. The came to stop on the edge of a roof as they gazed over the many shinobi from the other villages that were steadily but surely making their way to the building and then entering.

There was no need to rush since there was still more than an hour before the exam started and so the figure that had been leading moved to crouch on the roof top they had come to stop on. A grin spread over his features as he motioned toward some teams, followed by a cruel laugh from one of the other two. It seemed that this exam was going to be quite exciting. "Let's have some fun with this." The others nodded with a smirk and the grin on the one in the front grew exponentially.

The shinobi in front stiffened and then was up in an instant when three figures came to land on the roof behind them. A red haired shinobi accompanied by two others, and identified them as being Sabaku no Gaara and his team. Neither moved to address the other and that was a good thing since speaking while within Konoha lands was dangerous. Any that saw them would assume that they had just met on the rooftop by chance. After all they were looking at one another with open hostility, but it was no act.

The one in the front was Zaku Abumi and he was wearing a long sleeved white shirt with black bands wrapped around his wrists. Around the neck, the collar of his shirt was loose and spotted black, and three kanji signs for death were printed down the front. His pants matched his colors and his Oto hitai-ate was holding back his spiky black hair, with sides coming to frame his face.

The other male at his right was Dosu Kinuta, and he was wearing almost the same thing but his sleeves were a tad too long and he had two black stripes forming a cross and intercepting at his waist. He had the same pants and almost his entire head was wrapped in bandages with the exception of his left eye being uncovered, and his Sound headband was at his forehead. Draped over his slouched back was a straw raincoat.

There was also a kunoichi and the name on her application would identify her as Kin Tsuchi. She had on a sleeveless white shirt, with black bands and matching collar and pants as her companions. Her hair was so long it reached her ankles and the hitai-ate kept it out of her face.

The three Oto ninja saw another Suna team appear besides Gaara's team, and knew who they were by what their leader had informed them about. The boy with the spiky hair locked his eyes on the fire user in the front and a frown twisted his features.

_'So, this is the one that Orochimaru-sama wants from Sunagakure'_, he silently commented, and his hands clenched at his sides. Zaku didn't know what his plans were but he knew they revolved around this one and the other.

He openly glared at the shorter shinobi then turned and jumped off the roof as his two teammates followed. There would be ample time later to see just how good the Suna-nin were and he'd make sure to have the necessary fun with it. Of course, if that little Suna Genin that Orochimaru was after accidentally died then it couldn't be helped.

A chuckle left his lips as he turned his attention to the front and their destination. It was time to start heading inside even if there was still an hour till the Exam. He was anxious to get started.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan came to land besides Gaara's team and she glanced at the three man cell that was standing before them. He saw the musical note on their hitai-ate and knew they belonged from the newly formed Otogakure.

She frowned when she saw the boy in the middle turn his hardened gaze on her. Her teeth clenched at the open hostility on his face. _'Why is he looking at me with such hate?'_ she mused.

The fire wielder felt no fear toward him, but she was just curious as to what she could have possibly done to incur such a reaction from him. She dismissed it as nothing as they left, but her eyes fastened on his retreating back. It was obvious that she'd have to be cautious during the exam while around that one.

"Eizan," she heard Gaara's voice and was beside him in an instant as she locked her gaze on the ground. He rarely called her by her name, and this had been the second time since they had been together. "Seek them out."

He didn't need to say anything else, since she knew what he desired. The other day, they had found Uchiha Sasuke by chance. There was bound to be others in this and other villages that would actually be of some competition.

She risked a glance at him and his gaze shifted to meet her own at that moment, but she didn't turn away. A flicker of emotion flashed behind his turquoise pools before she glimpsed that kindness again, but then he was turning away. "Go."

A grin spread over her face before she nodded her head. "Hai, Gaara-dono!" she exclaimed and then she was moving away from the roof with her teammates beside her.

She approached the school building when she spotted the Uchiha's team as they approached. Eizan stopped before reaching the entrance and blended in with the crowd and out of their sight as Iwane and Amane did the same. When the other team entered they broke away and followed, but made sure to stay unseen.

They arrived at the crowd of Genin gathered outside of the room that read, '301'. There was a boy on the floor whose black hair was cut into a short, bowl like style and he had thick eyebrows framing small black eyes.

He was wearing a green bodysuit with orange leg warmers, and his Konoha hitai-ate wrapped around his waist. There were bandages wrapped around his arms from his elbows all the way to his fingers. It appeared that he had been knocked down since his face was bruised and he was pressing a fist against his bloodied lips.

Iwane frowned as she looked over the scene and then leaned close to whisper something in her ear. A smirk crossed Eizan's face as she gave a nod to indicate that she heard her. "Let's watch, shall we?"

There was a kunoichi besides the bowl haired boy and her dark brown hair was tied into two buns and her Konoha headband was around her forehead. She donned a sleeveless white shirt and black pants that barely reached her feet, which were encased in the ninja issue blue sandals.

There was another boy beside them that was from Konoha judging by the leaf headband around his head. He was wearing a short sleeved beige shirt with a loose collar around the neck. His right arm was bandaged all the way under the shirt and down to his fingers. He had blue shorts that went to his knees, and his right leg was also bandaged starting from under his shorts down to his ankle and disappearing under his blue ninja sandals.

The long black strands of his hair were tied in a loose pony tail that hung down his back. However, his most interesting feature was his lavender orbs that lacked pupils and gave the impression that he was blind.

The two Konoha shinobi that were refusing to let anyone pass appeared to be no older than them. "Chunin are at the level of military captains, and lead their unit. The responsibilities for failed missions and dead shinobi rest firmly on their shoulders."

He smirked as he stared them down. "And you little brats actually think you can pass?" His smirk turned into a grin as his companion merely watched on for the moment, measuring those that were up front.

"We're saving a step by weeding out the obvious trash beforehand," he continued to speak as he gave a snort. He had wild black hair sticking out around his head, and a single patch on both cheeks and one on his chin. His Konoha headband was displayed proudly at his head, and the handles of two large kunai were seen over his shoulder.

At that moment, the Uchiha and his team arrived on the scene and the prodigy spoke up. "That sounds good in theory, but I can't waste time here," he said. He came to stop just besides the other team of Genin that had been delayed there, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his white shorts. "And you may as well drop the Genjutsu while you're at it. I have business on the third floor."

Eizan smirked as she glanced at Iwane and the other girl just gave a shrug, but grinned since the girl's sharp eye sight had already seen past the illusion. There were many other shinobi that were confused by his words and she was able to hear as they wondered what he was talking about.

"So, you figured that out, huh?" the other one spoke up. He was wearing the same thing as his companion, but he wore a black shirt underneath that came up to his chin and the sides of his face. His Konoha hitai-ate was also around his head and he had the same blue ninja sandals as the one beside him.

This time it was Sakura that spoke up with a slight smirk of her own. "It was fairly easy to see through such a flimsy Genjutsu." Naruto nodded but said nothing. Any other time his teammates might have believed that he was faking having known, but things had changed. He _had_ seen past the illusion.

Eizan continued to watch the events with growing interest. It seemed that the girls had been right about the pink haired kunoichi having a sharp mind. More than likely she was the most analytical of her team, and thus understood the art of illusion.

"We're obviously still on the second floor," Naruto did speak up now. Just then, the illusion wore off to reveal that they were indeed on the second floor.

"Not bad, but just seeing through it isn't enough!" The one that had spoken first said with a snort and he moved his upper body down and lifted his leg to kick, using his hands against the ground to brace himself. At the same moment the Uchiha lifted his left leg to meet his attack.

"Should have used his arm to block and kicked from below," Amane muttered besides her. Eizan chuckled but continued to watch, and she raised her eyebrows a moment before the green clad leaf-nin appeared in between the two shinobi and stopped their attacks. She was fairly impressed since he would have been able to read their movements and then place himself right at the nexus of their attacks.

He released both their legs and it seemed enough for them to calm down. Everyone around them seemed amazed by the show of skill from the Genin from Konoha.

Eizan was also paying rapt attention to them, and noticed that her two teammates were doing the same thing. Iwane was busying eyeing the boy with the lavender eyes and Eizan hoped it wasn't just interest for his anatomy.

The Erizawa was actually remembering a certain kunoichi that had possessed the same type of eyes as the boy in front of them. She briefly wondered if they were related.

The boy being observed approached the male with the bowl cut. "Hey, that's not what we agreed," he chastised him. Eizan felt as Amane stiffened before she turned her gaze toward him. "You're the one who insisted we should avoid drawing attention to ourselves."

The girl with the two buns on the sides of her head, and which had been on the ground as well, had already stood and also approached him. "But-but," he started and then turned toward Sasuke's team and blushed slightly.

Again Eizan saw as Amane turned toward him as the other spoke. She'd ask her about it later since now wasn't the time, and she knew that her teammate had realized that she'd noticed her attention on him.

"Here we go again," the girl, Tenten, said with a sigh as she shook her head. The other boy, known as Hyuuga Neji, narrowed his eyes and seemed to be exasperated as if this had happened before.

The green clad boy seemed determined as he walked over to Sakura and now one was able to tell that the bruises weren't on his face anymore. The blonde was looking on in confusion and it seemed that Sakura also didn't understand. "Hi. My name is Rock Lee," he started and Eizan filed away his name for later. "You're Sakura, aren't you? Would you like to go out with me? I'll protect you with my life."

Lee grinned as he held out his thumb as if proclaiming a victory. He winked his left eye as his teeth seem to glint, and the last survivor of the Ashikaga Clan swore she heard a 'ping'.

Sakura smiled a bit uneasily and shook her head. "Sorry, not interested," she told him, not wanting to be too hard on him. Obviously, he had practiced the words and had gathered his courage to tell her. She knew how it felt since she had at one point felt the same way about Sasuke. Right now, she wasn't sure what she felt about him besides a comrade's concern.

Neji meanwhile walked over to Sasuke. There was a smirk on his face and it seemed that the Uchiha had also caught his interest. "Hey, you," he called out as the short haired boy turned to look at him, lifting an eyebrow in question. "What's your name?"

In the background, Naruto was watching as he clenched his hand in anger and it was almost like his eyes were two balls of fire. Obviously something had upset him, and Eizan couldn't help the smirk that spread over her features. He was an amusing guy.

There was a superior look on Sasuke's features before he smirked. "Its common courtesy to give your own name first," was his response. Eizan snorted because she remembered that the other day he had asked Gaara his name before giving his own. She ran a hand through her bangs as she named him a hypocrite in her mind. It'd be interesting to see what he'd say if he heard her thoughts.

This answer didn't deter Neji and he didn't give his name either. "You're a rookie, aren't you?" he asked next. By the question, it would be assumed that he was older, and had most likely been a Genin longer than the Uchiha team. "How old?"

Sasuke still had his hands stuffed into his pockets and Sakura was standing just behind him, as Tenten stood beside Neji. "I don't have to tell you a thing," Sasuke responded and then he turned away without another word as the other did the same. It seemed that they had come to an understanding that they would find out later anyway because they were both going to take the exam.

The pink haired ninja smirked and turned down the hall. "Let's get going Sasuke and Naruto," she told them. The other two followed as the Uchiha shrugged with indifference.

Eizan turned to follow them and then saw as Lee's teammates called that they should proceed to where they needed to go. "You guys go on ahead," he told them, having been staring after the other Sasuke's team as they departed. "There's something I want to check first." He then hurried down the hall.

Her eyes narrowed and Eizan turned toward her own teammates. "I'm going on alone," she informed them as they nodded. "Gather any information and be ready to report about that boy." She'd motion toward Neji and the two kunoichi smirked.

They nodded as she winked at them and disappeared in a puff of smoke after forming hand seals. She hadn't disappeared in her fire as she normally did and the girls assumed that it was to keep her abilities hidden for the moment.

Amane glanced back at Lee's comrades as they went in another direction, and they followed them. "So?" she asked her, not needing to say more to the shorter girl. It seemed that they were taking another route to reach room 301.

Iwane folded her arms behind her head as she walked besides Amane who stuffed her hands into her pockets. "It's his eyes," she responded with a slight shrug. "The day Eizan-sama sent us to scout on the day we first arrived I encountered a girl with the same kind of eyes. She looked about our age and so I figure she's a Genin."

They were going down a hall, and the girl and boy were walking in front of them. There were others that were also taking this route and so the two girls didn't worry that they'd figure out they were being followed. "What about you?"

Amane fiddled with something in her pocket before clutching it tightly within her palm. "I've heard his voice before. He's part of the team that was talking about rookies joining the exam in the woods." Her eyes narrowed on the boy's back. "That same day we were sent to scout, I entered into the forest." The other gave her a slanted look as she lifted an eyebrow.

Amane rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't forget his voice when one of them attacked me," she countered Iwane's unvoiced teasing. The earth user shrugged but she frowned slightly as she turned away. Her sharp eyes locked on the boy walking in front of her.

She didn't doubt the other girl's words since her hearing was the best out of all three of them. "Did they see you?" Iwane asked and when the other shrugged she sighed. "Well, if the person I saw leaving the forest followed by three figures was you, then there might be a good chance that they didn't."

The Itagaki frowned and looked at her. "How far?" she asked her. "Did you use the increasing jutsu?"

The emerald eyed ninja smirked and shrugged again. " Hokage Monument and I didn't," she simply replied and took great pleasure in seeing the shock on the others' face. Amane was hardly ever surprised.

It was no wonder since she had never really told them how far she could actually see. "The sun had already gone down, so there's a chance that they didn't get a good look at you."

Amane nodded and let her face slip back into the blank expression that she always wore. She had caught the leaf-nin's names in the bit of conversation they had been having with one another, but now they weren't even speaking.

They turned the corner and saw the door and the sign overhead that read '301'. The two in front of them paused and turned to look at them as the Neji narrowed his pale eyes toward them. "And I'm thinking the odds weren't in your favor." The slight sing-song note in Iwane's voice made Amane give her a glare.

They continued to walk and ignored the other two as Amane glanced at her teammate as Iwane smirked. When they passed by her eyes shifted to meet Neji's disturbing gaze, but she neither flinched or said anything.

When they had walked a few steps in front of them his voice stopped them. "I recognize you."-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1. **Tomare:** Stop.  
2. **Taijutsu:** Physical arts: hand-to-hand combat.  
3. **Amegakure:** _lit._ "hidden within the rain"  
4. **Kusagakure:** _lit._ "hidden within the grass"  
5. **Takigakure:** _lit._ "hidden within the waterfall"  
6. **Otogakure:** _lit._ "hidden within the sound"  
7. **Genjutsu:** Illusionary skills.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Nine**_


	11. Turtles and Shinobi Skill Cards

**_Glimpses of Fire  
_Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** This chapter took a lot out of me to rewrite, and I blame it all on my time guzzling boyfriend. Of course, there were other factors, but it doesn't take away from the fact that today is a good day! -jumps around and cheers- This is dedicated as always to Gaara1Love cause of the reviews, oh and thanks for the review Eddi, I'm glad you like my story. What happened AuraofaGirl? lol, don't like my story anymore? Well, this is dedicated to you too. That's all folks, on with the story! (To Neji fans, I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist, haha!.)

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Ten: Turtles and Shinobi Skill Cards**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Shukaku's jinchuriki stopped in the middle of the hall and glanced out the window that he'd paused next to. His older siblings had also stopped behind him and gave one another questioning glances, but neither dared say anything. Even then, they had noticed that the red head had been acting strange ever since that meeting with Baki before leaving for Konohagakure. They were afraid of him, and so found it strange that they were worried about him. After all, he was their younger brother.

Meanwhile, Gaara was lost in thought even after he started to move along the hall once again toward the room they needed to report to. As was the case nowadays, Eizan was the cause of his restless thoughts. Many times over the last few days he had wondered why he didn't just kill her and free himself of his burden.

However, he had never admitted it until now, but he was incapable of killing the kunoichi. He had realized that she'd become a part of him, and the last shred of his humanity and thus his weakness. Gaara knew that he couldn't afford to be weak and for that very reason had to be rid of her.

As he entered room 301 with his teammates his mind uncharacteristically wandered back to the day of the meeting with Baki. He told them they would participate in the Chunin Exam, but that's not all he had said.

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_The reason why they were participating had been shocking to them. It was Temari, the elder sister, that had spoken first _

_"Why? Aren't Konoha and the Suna allies?" she had asked as her face twisted into a frown. _

_The room they were in had pictures of past Kazekages' and also of the current feudal lord of Kaze no Kuni. Gaara had to leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and as far away from his two siblings as possible, and he listened quietly with an emotionless face. _

_Temari and Kankurou had sat on one of the benches in front of their Jonin instructor, Baki as he leaned against the wall just under the mantle that held the feudal lords' picture. _

_Baki rested his head against the wall for a moment before he straightened. "That alliance treaty is the problem," he said, a single eyebrow moving down in a frown since half his face was covered by the curtain like covering. _

"What do you mean?" Kankurou asked a bit perplexed.

"You Genin don't know the details, but after the treaty was signed, Kaze no Kuni's idiotic feudal lord forced Sunagakure to reduce its armaments." He frowned once again and looked angered by what he was telling them. "He became a client for Konoha when he should have been giving missions to our village. Also, he greatly cut the budget for our village and greatly reduced the number of ninja for the country as well. To maintain our power, our village had to raise the quality of each individual ninja." He glanced at the red head then. "That's why ninja like you were created, Gaara."

_His eyes narrowed and his features hardened to indicated that he hated to be reminded of this fact. Having to remember that his birth and all his suffering had been an experiment to ensure that Sunagakure wasn't left behind. As he thought about that a person's face floated in his mind. He recalled words that she had spoken to him long ago. _

_**'They don't like me either.'** Although, he didn't know why those very words had come to him at that moment. Gaara also wondered if she'd also been an experiment to ensure that the village would become stronger. _

_Baki's voice had brought him out of his thoughts, yet his face remained emotionless. "The security of the Country of Wind is very low right now. But that feudal lord and his attendants don't understand that!" He slammed his fist against the wall, unsettling the picture of the feudal lord. _

_"Kazekage-sama sensed danger in Sunagakure's power decrease. So he has concluded that we need to cooperate with Otogakure and destroy Konoha. This will regain Suna's dignity and we will let the idiotic feudal lord understand the importance of crisis management for this country!" _

When he slammed his hand against the wall this time the picture fell and landed with a thud on the matted floor. "If we waste any more time, Suna will lose power to battle Konoha. Now is the time. This mission, Gaara," he turned to look at him, but the red head didn't even glance at the Jonin, "it depends a lot on your performance."

_He didn't give a damn about what happened to this village or its' inhabitants, which were nothing more than clumps of meat strung together by hate and deceit. However, the possibility of going to that exam and fighting against a strong opponent soundeded interesting. That way, he'd be able to feed better blood to his dear mother. _

He resisted the urge to place his hand over the gourd on his back. "Sure," he answered emotionlessly as he continued to stare straight ahead.

_The look on Baki's face, or at least the part that was visible, was set into a serious look. "Once the mission is executed we will go to war with Konoha," he said as his eyes narrowed._

_"Another war?" Temari muttered in quiet shock as she looked down at her hands resting in her laps. Her fingers curled around the material of the dress that came to her thighs, fishnet seen stretching out from under one of her left thigh, and a fishnet on her right leg that started just below her knee and ended at her ankle. The collar was also fishnet and her hair was pulled into four pigtail. Her hitai-ate was hanging around her neck. "The alliance treaty was created after so many sacrifices and now it's going to be voided, and a lot of people are going to die again." _

_Her brother glanced at her and the Kabuki face paint acceptuated his face even more. "Temari," he warned her. The light from the single lantern in the room glinted off the headband at his forehead, tied under the black hat that had cat like ears sticking out. It matched his long sleeved black shirt, with its circle that was separated by a line in the middle where the left of it was yellow and the right side a dark red. His hands were incased in black fingerless gloves, and now rested at his sides as he sat up. _

_Baki spoke again as he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned toward the two sitting before him. "This is all Kazekage-sama's will," he said, a finality in his voice. _

_Temari clenched her teeth and her hands that were still resting in her lap before her eyes widen a bit. "Kazekage-sama's?" she muttered before she lifted her gaze to lock on her Jonin sensei. _

_The older shinobi frowned and stood straight now and took a step in their direction. "Ninja are tools of war," he said, the covering on his face moving slightly from his movements. "The alliance treaty only threatened our existence. This is an A-class mission." Baki folded his hands behind his back. "Proceed with caution." _

_Kankurou looked a bit hesitant but after a moment he gave a nod. "Aa," he replied. Then Temari also responded with an affirmative after a sigh and then she stood as the puppet master did the same. However, Baki held out a hand to stop them before they moved toward the door. _

_"There is one more thing," he said and they all turned their attention back on him once more. Baki let his gaze settle over the red head as his features twisted in a frown. He hesitated with his next words and thus caught the other's interest. "Otogakure has asked for something to seal the agreement between Suna and Sound."  
_

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Gaara frowned and he unconsciously clenched his hands into fists. _'Dosh'te?'_ he asked himself, not understanding why he was making such a big deal about this. It should have been so simple and yet it wasn't. He couldn't understand himself anymore.

He turned his thoughts to last night, and he had to close his eyes when he saw the terror flash over Kankurou's face after he'd caught sight of them. Eizan had been shocked by his actions as much as he had been, but the memory of having her body pressing against his own would not leave his mind. He had wanted to brush his lips against her throat but stopped himself at the last instant and had pressed them against her ear. He'd spoken freely in that moment without meaning to.

The red head had wanted to reach out and let his fingers touch her face but he'd felt her whole body trembling and he'd frozen. He'd seen her face twisted in fear once before and aimed at him, and he didn't want to see that again as long as he lived. So, he'd turned away and left quickly.

Gaara had closed his eyes in concentration after entering the room and now they snapped open as the he heard the doors being pushed back, but it was Eizan's teammates and not the fire user herself. Amane looked slightly amused and a triumphant smirk was plastered on Iwane's face. A few minutes later, two Konoha Genin entered. The boy glanced at the Erizawa murderously and the girl seemed to be holding back laughter.

The sand wielding shinobi wondered where Eizan had gone, but quickly realized that she was probably carrying out his order. So he waited and after several minutes the doors opened so silently that not many noticed but him. He felt a familiar presense at his side a moment later.

Before they left for Konoha he had instructed to Eizan that she shouldn't kneel in public since that would attract too much attention. So, as he turned to look at her, he noticed that she was standing but leaning in close to him. She inclined her head slightly and he merely turned away as she started to report everything she'd witnessed. Her lithe form was so close that she was almost pressed against him and her voice had dropped almost sensually so that he actually had to fight back a shiver at feeling her warm breath against his ear and throat.

Her report was of two Genin and motioned toward the male leaf-nin with the pupiless eyes. The doors opened once again and a boy with a bowl haircut entered, and Eizan immediately identified him as a _'Rock Lee'_. The information on him was rather intriguing especially since he'd managed to defeat Uchiha Sasuke so easily.

Gaara managed to keep his face emotionless as she recounted the rest of her report. When she was finished he nodded to dismiss her but he felt her hesitate. He turned to look at her and saw as she opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted as the doors opened once more and three man cell entered. Gaara turned and saw that it was Sasuke's team.

As soon as he turned his attention from Eizan she muttered something and quickly retreated. His eyes shifted in her direction as she joined her team members. It was for the best that what she had been about to say stay unvoiced. All he should need her for was to gather the necessary information, but at times something pulled him toward her. Either way, soon it wouldn't matter one way or another.

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"I recognize you"

Iwane stifled a giggle as Amane paused and glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. She turned fluidly and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I should hope you would!" she chastised. "After that beautiful night we spent and you never called me back!"

She placed her hands over her cheeks which had reddened as if she were embarrassed. "I get excited every time I remember it."

The boy frowned and glanced at the girl besides him, who just shrugged to indicate that she didn't know what was going on. To the two of them Amane and Iwane looked like two male Genin from Sunagakure. "You must have confused..." he stopped when he saw that the other 'boy' didn't seem to be paying him any attention as he continued stare dreamily into space.

Iwane glanced around and noticed that a few people had started to stare at them. "Oh my, I seem to have ousted you in front of everyone." She grinned and scratched the back of her head. "Gomen, but when you give someone that kind of night," and here she winked, "you should at least remember their face or name.

Neji blinked and also looked around. "Er, he's lying," he muttered as he reddened when he noticed that some of the older male ninja were grinning as others unabashedly eyed him with a bit of lust. He turned to look at Iwane. "You, shut up!"

The Erizawa giggled and waved a hand in front of her. "Come one, don't be shy about it. The first step is admitting you have an addiction to hot man sex!"

Amane snorted with a laugh and covered her mouth as her teammate turned her emerald gaze on her. The wind user took a bit of pity on the Hyuuga and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. She dragged her off while Iwane made her hand in the form of a phone and mouthed _'Call me'_ to Neji.

Meanwhile, Neji was seething in both anger and humiliation as he stomped in the other direction to get away from the stares. Tenten was at a loss. She didn't know whether to run after Neji and reassure him that no one believed that he was gay, or burst out laughing until her sides split.

Iwane pulled away from Amane as they reached the doors of room 301 and grinned at her. "My distraction tactic worked!" she cheered in a sing-song voice.

The Itagaki female shook her head. "You're lucky we're not allowed to kill each other until the exam starts," she muttered, knowing that the Byakugan user wanted to do just that to the earth user. The other just stuffed her hands into her pockets and shrugged, and an amused smile had slightly curved Amane's lips as they entered the room.

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A figure had come to watch the fight as it started. Their arms were crossed over an apparently flat chest and head turned to the right to observe the leaf-nin. The face of the person was shrouded in shadow as wild, black strands fell over a head band as a smirk curved their effeminate lips.

"This looks to be interesting," Ashikaga Eizan muttered as she observed Rock Lee get through Sasuke's defenses. As the unofficial match dwindled down she found herself frowning. It had been surprising to see the boy's speed when he'd defended against Naruto. In turn, the blonde had shown a bit of skill that had missed every one's notice but her own. He seemed to be holding himself back.

On the other hand, the Uchiha had rushed into the fight with too much confidence and had his ass handed to him by the other leaf-nin. She had been a bit disappointed and wondered if perhaps being the only Uchiha left in the village had gone to his head. His clan was regarded with the greatest esteem as had been proved when one of them had become an ANBU commander at the age of thirteen.

The Ashikaga frowned as she remembered Itachi and glanced at Sasuke as he soared through the air with Lee under him like a shadow. _'Do you think Itachi murdered them?'_ she mused quietly. It was sad to think that perhaps he did believe his brother to be the murderer that everyone said he was.

The bandages had unraveled and the slightly older boy was about to wrap them around his opponent. Eizan lifted an eyebrow as she felt a strange chakra presence she closed her eye to see through one of the torches below her, but left the other one open to keep an eye on the two flying through the air. A moment later a bright colored pinwheel sailed through the air and impaled one end of the bandage against the wall.

"Halt! That's enough!" a booming voice called out. She saw who interrupted the battle, and even she had to blink in surprise as she observed the huge red turtle with the Konoha hitai-ate hanging from its neck.

_'A summon,'_ Eizan mused to herself before she moved her complete sight on the two boys. Because most of his bandages were wrapped around his arm, Lee was pulled off balance and forced to the floor.

He curled into him self and flipped so that he would land in a crouch before the turtle. As Sasuke fell from her line of sight, she heard the pink haired kunoichi and Naruto cry out his name and then the sound of running footsteps. Eizan closed her eyes and used the torch once again to see both the Uchiha's teammates unceremoniously break his fall. Even from the slightly poor sight of the torch she was able to see that he was trembling as the girl asked him if he was okay.

Her attention was brought back to the Taijutsu specialist and saw that he was kneeling before the turtle with a morose look adorning his features. "You...you saw?" Lee asked quietly, though the answer should have been obvious so it was meant as a rhetorical question. While a turtle's face could not be considered expressive, the narrowing of its eyes seemed to convey anger.

"You know the rules, Lee," it chastised the youth as the mentioned boy flinched as if struck. He continued to tremble in either fear or nervousness. "That move is strictly forbidden!"

These words captured Eizan's interest. If the move he had been about to perform on the Uchiha was considered a Kinjutsu, then it was bound to be powerful. She'd have to report this to Gaara first and foremost, memorizing the kick he had done before Sasuke had flown through the air.

Realizing that the fight was obviously over, she straightened from where she had been leaning against the wall and moved to disappear into the shadows behind her. Through the last glimpse of the torch, she saw as Sasuke turned his gaze in her general direction. He wouldn't be able to see her, but she couldn't stop the smug smirk that graced her features, and then she was gone as though she had never been there.

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When she entered room 301, it was done with discretion and knew that very few people had seen her at the speed she had been going. At Gaara's side she only bowed her head slightly and reported. They were surrounded on all sides by foreign ninja so she leaned in close and dropped her voice. She didn't rushed her words and she'd lifted her gaze to watch the side of his head, her eyes seeming to get lost in the silky, scarlet mane of hair.

When he nodded she hesitated as she recalled last night's occurrences and she saw as he turned his head to pin her with his expressionless gaze. There was nothing in his eyes as she opened her mouth to speak, yet she didn't even know what she would say to him. It wasn't as if she could really ask him why he had reacted that way.

Before she could make a fool of herself, the doors opened, and Gaara's attention turned to the front and his hard gaze was gone so that she almost sighed. That look did things to her, sent irrational thoughts through her so that at times she felt frustrated, and going out of her mind.

It was Sasuke's team that passed through the doors and she quickly retreated to her teammate's sides. When they had graduated from the Academy she had been furious that her instructor hadn't placed her on Gaara's team. However, now she was grateful to a point that she almost regretted killing the man. Almost.

Being in his team would have been torture for her at this point as she tried to hide her feelings for the red head. She knew for sure that he would either not understand them, or be disgusted. So, she chose to leave them unvoiced where they would surely wither and die one day, though she really doubted it.

Her attention was turned to the gathering of Konoha cells around the Uchiha's team. She had managed to get a bit of information from a really pesky Konoha Genin that had tried to bully her the other day after she had already been in a bad mood. There were actually three rookie teams that would be taking the exam, and Sasuke's instructor was Hatake Kakashi.

Eizan was more than a bit interested to see what the team could do now. The blonde was clearing holding himself back and the pink haired kunoichi had a sharp mind and the eyes for observation. Although, she was still a bit interested in Lee and his other teammates. He'd gotten past the Sharingan user's defenses.

Her eyes narrowed on the first team that had approached them. The blonde girl that jumped on Sasuke was Yamanaka Ino, the bored looking one with the hapi was Nara Shikamaru and the one eating the chips was Akimichi Chouji.

The second team also had two boys and one girl. The shy looking kunoichi was Hyuuga Hinata, which she had been surprised to realize that the other boy in Lee's team also possessed the Byakugan. The wild looking boy with the dog was Inuzuka Kiba, and his dog was Akamaru. Another thing that had surprised her about this team was the boy with the glasses, Aburame Shino of the bug clan.

The fire user wondered what type of skills they had besides the obvious ones. She only wished the ninja she had fried had more useful information, but she guessed that it was either that or attack a Jonin and she wasn't keen on that idea.

As she watched the girl clinging to Sasuke as Sakura rolled her eyes and engaged in conversation with Hinata, she noticed the blush on the Uchiha's face. It seemed that he was annoyed but embarrassed and Eizan smirked as she wondered if he was the type that was still shy around the opposite sex even underneath his cold exterior. She chuckled quietly as she realized something else and wondered if the prodigy had confused her and her team mates with boys.

Amane and Iwane looked at her in confusion before she quietly explained her, and the taller of the two merely smirked as the second tallest, being Iwane, laughed a bit too loudly that some Genin around them gave her a strange look. Eizan shook her head in amusement and turned her attention back to rookies once again. They were speaking so loudly that she was able to hear them without having to ask Amane.

"The kid with the shades?" Iwane asked her quietly as she stifled a yawn. The Erizawa certainly seemed to be the laid back of the group, and also the one that wouldn't be as hostile if approached. However, even she had her moments where she'd kill someone if they even looked at her funny. "He's the bug user I met."

The Ashikaga nodded to indicate that she already knew and knew that the girl would had seen the bugs leaving him where they wouldn't. Her sight far surpassed Eizan and Amane's, while the Itagaki had the greater hearing.

"He's also rude and interrupts people's meals," Iwane grumbled as the shorter girl lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Amane who shrugged since she was use to it.

Eizan could sense the tension in the air as the other shinobi observed the conversing rookies. Her blood boiled and she suddenly wished someone would start trouble so she could entertain herself. A moment later, she was horrified at her thoughts. She sighed softly and shook her head. Thoughts like this had started to invade her mind more and more these days.

Amane indicated the leaf-nin that approached the three cells. He had silver hair that was pulled back into a messy ponytail, he wore the Leaf headband displayed on his forehead, and glasses. He had a white shirt underneath a black body suit and blue ninja sandals. There were white bandages wrapped around his waist and only a pouch at his left side. His black fingerless gloves had a metal plating on the back that was of the same material as the hitai-ate metal.

"Would you do everyone a favor and pipe down," he said to them, his voice smooth but still distinctly male. He came to stop before them, resting his left hand on his pouch as if by pure instinct alone, or maybe if he were to receive negative responses from the amateurs he addressed. "You're all rookies, aren't you?" The answer seemed obvious as the nine had now turned their full attention on him. Eizan saw that many Genin from other villages were also observing the interaction. "This isn't a school field trip, you know."

Naruto frowned slightly and asked his name. The older boy, who appeared to be between 15 and 18 years old, smirked slightly. "The name is Yakushi Kabuto," he responded and motioned toward the shinobi behind them. "You kids need to open your eyes."

As they turned, the Ame Genin openly glared at them, the hostility seeming to soak the very air around them. "Watch out for them. They're from Amegakure and they've got very short fuses." He shrugged before shifting the pouch a bit to the back. "Everyone's on edge, waiting to take the exam. I wanted to warn you before someone snaps and beats the crap out of you."

Sasuke turned to observe the rest of the Genin that were in the room, some staring back and others completely ignoring everything around them. His gaze came to land on a pair of familiar blood-rimmed black eyes that seemed to glint as they met his.

He held the look and wondered just how good the Suna Genin was. _'Ashikaga Eizan',_ had been the name he had given him before he left him standing in the forest the other night. As he continued to stare the other down, Kabuto was telling the others some information on the Chunin exam and the number of applicants that had applied.

Sasuke had ignored him but he was interested in what he was saying as he pulled out some cards from his pouch, and told them they were Shinobi skill cards. He demonstrated what they were by bringing out one and applying his Chakra, and the information on it seemed to pop out of no where.

Eizan was also curious about these Shinobi cards of his and knew that Amane would be the one that would hear every word spoken by Kabuto. A slightly malicious grin had almost graced her features when Sasuke's gaze had come to land on her own, but had left it neutral.

Her attention went to the card that Kabuto had extracted from the pile but she couldn't see it completely from this distance. Giving a nod at Iwane, the other girl smirked and narrowed her eyes.

"It's a map and it shows the number of applicants for each village that are taking the exam." She asked her how many. "Thirty-three from Suna, ninety from Konoha, three from Oto, twenty-one from Ame, six from Kusa, and six from Taki." She bit her lip in concentration and it was obvious that she was trying to add it all up.

"A hundred and fifty-nine applicants," Amane muttered dully. When it came to complex equations or strategy, she was usually the more competent. The slightly shorter girl pouted at being beaten by her and Eizan wondered how she would do on the test. While she was pretty well versed in some areas at Eizan's insistence, there were still a lot of gray areas she was lacking in. It wouldn't be true if they called Iwane the weakest member, since she really had no idea who would win in a fight against Amane and her.

Sasuke approached Kabuto. "Do you also have cards for each individual applicant?" he asked him and the older one questioned if he was interested in a particular someone. He frowned and stuffed his hands into his pockets, but didn't answer him.

"These are far from complete, but I have burned a set of dossier cards for the current pool of applicants, including your team. In the event of someone reapplying, I just user some of my older cards for them." He flipped out a blank card out before replacing it into the deck. "If you share any data you have on this person, then I'll be happy to look him up and let you know what I have so far."

He made no comment about providing information. "Sabaku no Gaara and Ashikaga Eizan of Sunagakure, and Rock Lee of Konoha," he responded, his eyes narrowing on the cards in Kabuto's hands. He was interested in seeing what useful information he could provide on the three Genin.

"You know their names? Then it'll be no sweat," he muttered and swiftly extracted three cards from the pile. Naruto was paying close attention when he heard Suna, knowing that most likely it was the two shinobi that they had encountered the other day. "First is Rock Lee. He's a year older than you three." He held the card before them so they could look at it, the symbol at the top signifying that he was from the Fire Country. There was a small picture of the boy, along with smaller ones of three people.

"Missions to date: 20 D-ranked, 11 C-ranked. His team's mentor is Maito Gai and his Taijutsu skills have grown exponentially this past year." He flipped the card around so he could take a quick look before turning it back toward Sasuke once again. "He has no other talents worth mentioning, but he was considered a standout among last year's Genin. This is the first time he will be taking the Chunin Exam though. His teammates are Hyuuga Neji and Tenten."

He replaced the card into the deck after the information had faded, and then presented the second card. "Next, is Gaara of Sunagakure from the Wind Country. He has eight C-ranked missions, one B-ranked and an A-ranked mission!" Kabuto seemed impressed and even turned the card to look at it, to make sure he wasn't mistaken. "Not may rookie shinobi get B and definitely not A ranked assignments!" He frowned and concentrated on the card a moment. "Since he's from way out in the desert, I have less on him, but it's interesting. He's come back from every mission completely unscathed. Without a scratch."

Sasuke frowned and wondered just how good the guy was. "His teammates are Kankurou and Temari. There's no more information on him, or his team's mentor." Kabuto replaced the card as the information faded from it like the other. Now he withdrew the last card. "Next is Ashikaga Eizan...uh...are you sure you got the name right?" he asked as he peered at it with a frown.

"Of course. Why?" he questioned. The older Genin flipped it over to show and he was about to say that he didn't see anything wrong and stopped. The information on the card listed him as _'Deceased'_. Moving his hand forward, Kabuto allowed him to take it as he scanned the information. This also listed him as a Chunin, but that didn't make any sense. Looking at the picture, he was sure that this was him. "This can't be right because that would make him a ghost." He motioned his head in the direction of the Suna Genin. Sasuke had also noted that there were other teammates on here, not the same ones he was with now.

Kabuto glanced in the direction the Uchiha motioned and blinked in confusion as his gaze came to land on the boy. That was him alright, or at least someone almost identical to the one in the picture. "This is actually an old record," he muttered as he took the card back and then nodded before indicating the date of death. "It says here that Ashikaga Eizan died almost eight years ago."

The older Genin shrugged in confusion. "And that he took the test the same year he died. There's no cause of death or anything on family members." He glanced at the boy again. "The heights don't match. This has him as five feet, two inches." He turned it so Sasuke could see it. "And he looks to be Naruto-san's height, maybe an inch shorter. Also, he doesn't look to be 103 pounds heavy."

He narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the boy they spoke of and wondered if the name had been a fake. His lips pulled back to reveal his teeth in a growl as he saw the other meet his gaze before smirking.

Sasuke felt his face flush with anger, once again ignoring Kabuto as he spoke of the villages that were participating in the exam. His last words diverted his attention from glaring at Eizan, if that really was his real name. "They're like Lee and Gaara...elite, hand-picked shinobi, the best young ninja in the world. They have to be! The test is pitiless."

Eizan had stopped listening to their conversation and her eyes shifted toward the blonde that had pestered her a few days ago, Uzumaki Naruto. His whole body was trembling as he looked at the ground, and his hands were clenched into fists before him. 'Is he scared?' she wondered as she saw Sakura ask him what was wrong.

He suddenly lifted his head as a wide grin split his features and pointed into the crowd of Genin. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "And none of you are gonna beat me!! Got that?"

Ino blinked and demanded to know what his problem was. Sakura sighed and shook her head, but there was a slight smirk on her lips. "Yeah! That felt great!" Naruto folded his arms behind his head in an Iwane-type stance and Eizan really hoped her teammate wasn't on the same path. Although, she had to admit that he was certainly amusing.-

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**Translations:**  
1. **Jinchuriki:** literally "Power of Human Sacrifice"; person whom a biju has been sealed at birth.  
2. **biju:** literally "tailed beasts", are the nine giant beasts (demons) that once plagued the Naruto world.  
3. **Ninjutsu:** refers to almost everything a Ninja uses in battle from his/her techniques, spells, and skills/abilities.  
4. **Kagebuyo:** shadow of the dancing leaf; this is one of Konoha-style's taijutsu where the warrior visualizes his opponent as a wind-tossed leaf and pursues that leaf by moving as though he were its shadow.  
5. **Kinjutsu:** Forbidden Skill; there are techniques and spells created that were forbidden from using because some of the affects were too dangerous to use such as techniques that were used for evil deeds or have fatal effects on the user.  
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**_End Chapter Ten_**


	12. The Many Ways to Cheat

_**Glimpses of Fire**  
_**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** Woo, I got away from that meddling boyfriend of mine, lol. I'm exhausted and my tattoo itches like heck, but its all worth it! It's the kanji 'Ai' over my heart, hehe. I'm crazy, so what! It looks awesome! I'll hopefully be able to take a picture soon and post it on my website. (Yay, we're at the half-way point! Only twelve more chapters to go! Dedicated to my faithful reviewers...the few that I have.) Enjoy!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Eleven: The Many Ways to Cheat**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, and had to bend down slightly since Eizan was shorter than her, a bit of knowledge that irritated the slightly younger kunoichi.

"To the left," she spoke quietly, her eyes narrowed. Her hands were in her pockets and one of them was clenched around something in the right one. After a moment, she closed her eyes and isolated the voices out of the hundred or so inside the room. _'...have some fun with them?' _

The Ashikaga nodded but didn't let her gaze move from the Konoha rookies as Iwane also leaned toward her. "It's the ones from the rooftop," she whispered. Eizan's crimson-rimmed orbs narrowed and this time flicked quickly on the Oto-nin from earlier, and then her gaze shifted toward the red head as he turned to meet her eyes.

They were planing something, but she knew that it might be a mistake. Gaara had let her in on a bit more detail of the plan, but not all of it. Oto was involved and she knew that if they started something here then they might be expelled and the plan would be ruined.

The three sound ninja started to move, darting among the shinobi that were gathered and some didn't even notice them. When she saw Gaara narrow his eyes and flick his head to the side slightly she tensed. "Go," she muttered and the other two girls nodded and became blurs of motion.

Kin darted to come around the side, but paused as she found herself face to face with Iwane. She attacked her but the Doton user blocked and easily took her down. The Erizawa grinned down at her as her foot held her securely in place on the floor. "Why don't you settle down, hmm?"

Zaku jumped into the air and flung a few kunai at Kabuto and the gray haired teen was about to jump back. The black haired sound-nin was shocked as a figure identified as Amane, appeared in front of the older boy and easily blocked the kunai with a Senbon needle. They impaled into the wall as Amane smirked chillingly. "Pathetic."

Meanwhile, Dosu tried to go around as he aimed for Kabuto, pulling his right sleeve back to reveal a strange device attached to it. He cried out as a kick connected with the side of his head and he flew to the side and slammed into the wall. Eizan appeared where he had just been with arms at her side as if she hadn't moved at all. "You're disturbing the peace," she said quietly.

Sasuke had watched the whole thing, and was astounded at the speed in which they had appeared and deflected the attacks from the other Genin. _'I didn't even see them coming,'_ he thought as he frowned. He glanced at Eizan and wondered what his real name was.

It was obvious that his teammates were almost as talented as him and thus Sasuke was interested in knowing about them. He turned his attention to the Oto shinobi and he was surprised to see the wall damaged in the direction that the taller boy's device had been pointed at.

Neji frowned as he had observed, taken by surprise at the speed the shorter boy had been moving at. "Lee, did you see them move?" he asked and his companion shook his head. While the others' speed had been quick, it could probably be said that it matched Lee's speed. However, the short haired one that had taken out the shinobi with the bandages was faster.

"The two with long hair were fast, but he," Lee would motion toward Eizan, "was faster. I wasn't even able to see him move." Frowning, he looked the boy over and noticed the hitai-ate he wore. "They're from Sunagakure."

Dosu had recovered his bearings and Zaku was openly glaring at Amane. His hand was gripped around his kunai tightly and was ready to attack.

"I think everyone should calm down," Kabuto spoke up when he saw the two Suna ninja preparing to defend against the two boys. The kunoichi of their group was still incapacitated by Iwane who refused to allow her to move.

Before things could get heated up there was a loud explosion in the middle of the room. "Would everyone quiet down!" a voice yelled from the smoke before it cleared. There were many Konoha shinobi revealed, all looking older than any of the Genin gathered from the different nations. The young ninja were surprised by their sudden appearance.

There was one that stood out among the rest and he was more than six feet tall with scars running along the plains of his intimidating face. He had a dark grey button shirt and matching pants, and he wore slightly different sandals than other Konoha ninja. His hitai-ate covered his whole head from view and one could tell that he was bald, but the most noticeable thing was the long, black leather coat he wore.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," he said with a malicious smirk. "My name is Morino Ibiki. I'm the proctor and chief examiner for the first part of the exam." The expression on his face made the more inexperienced ninja to shudder in fear.

Eizan smirked and shook her head with a slight sigh. She seemed to flicker and disappear, only to reappear where she had been standing before. Iwane and Amane were beside her in the next second. It was almost like they had never moved.

The Ashikaga glanced at the red head, who actually smirked in her direction. She felt her face flush as her heart skipped a beat so she turned away before he saw her. Eizan knew he must have seen it. She always thought that Gaara knew her feelings and that's why he had started to keep her at arms' length more and more.

_'Is he disgusted by me?'_ she silently wondered. Her heart ached and she knew that she'd rather die than know the truth. It was frightening.

"You Genin from Oto can't just do anything you want," he said as he pointed at the three recovering shinobi before turning toward the Suna kunoichi. "You three may have stopped them, but you will also be disqualified if you continue to disrupt things before the exam." He turned to face the room. "Now it's about time someone laid down a few ground rules."

His gaze hardened into a deadly serious expression to show that he meant for these to be followed. "From this point forward, there will be no more fighting without the express permission of the examining officer and even if that permission is granted, anything that endangers an applicant's life is strictly forbidden." The same malicious smirk returned to his lips as his eyes burned a bit sadistically. "Any of you little piglets who break that rule will be disqualified. No second chances. Got that?"

Eizan had leaned back against one of the desks, crossing her arms over her chest as she tilted her head to the side. "Rules are meant to be broken," she commented only loud enough for her companions to hear her as they both laughed quietly. Well, Iwane laughed and Amane simply smirked. She hadn't laughed much since...for a long time now.

"The first part of the Chunin Exam is about to commence. Turn in your written applications, take one of these seating assignment cards and report directly to the seat indicated." The Genin started to do as he instructed and turned in their applications, and then taking up the assignment card. "When everyone's seated, we'll pass out the written part of the test." One of the proctors shuffled a pile of papers he had with him and prepared to hand them out, some ninja already taking their seats.

Meanwhile, Naruto blinked in confusion as he looked at the main examiner and then at the stack of tests. "Huh?" His face suddenly became a cross between shock and horror as his eyes widened. "A...A PAPER TEST!?" he yelled as many were either stunned or amused by his outburst.

Eizan glanced at the seat she would sit and saw that it was several seats away from the red head. She was glad since lately she'd found it hard to think straight in his presence. However, she also saw that she was in a different row than her teammates as well.

She took a seat and saw that there was already a test paper face down in front of her. Her eyes roamed the room and smirked when she noticed that Amane was sitting next to the Hyuuga boy. She actually giggled, but managed to stifle it. The girls had told her of what had happened between them and the leaf-nin.

Iwane was a few seats to her left, and two rows down. She was sitting beside a kunoichi from Taki and Eizan rolled her eyes as she saw that the Erizawa was wasting no time in flirting. The girl was blushing and giggling and the short haired girl wondered if she realized that her neighbor was also a girl.

The fire user turned to her right and almost sighed when she noticed that the Uchiha was sitting one seat away from her. _'Oh joy,'_ she thought sarcastically. She rested her folded arms on the desk in front of her and turned away when the boy glanced her way. She'd choose to ignore him for the moment.

"Papers face down until I give the signal. Now listen up." Morino tapped a piece of chalk against the black board behind him. "There are a few big rules for this first test. I'll write them on the black board and explain them all," he turned around and started to write, "but I'm not taking questions, so listen carefully. I will say this only once."

"Rule Number One! Each one of you starts out here with ten points. The test has ten questions, each worth one point. For each you get wrong, we subtract one point from you. Get all ten right and you retain the ten points you have."

Everyone was paying him the greatest attention as he started to write the next rule. "Rule Number Two. This written test is still a team event. Passing or failing will be determined by the sum of the points held by all three members of each cell. The object is for each team to have as few deductions as possible from its joint thirty-point total." He heard mutters from some of the Genin as he smirked privately to himself.

He started on the next rule, hand moving easily as he wrote. "Rule Number Three. Anyone caught attempting to cheat or aiding and abetting a cheater will lose two points for each offense." At this point, he turned as the murmurs started again. "That's right. In all probability, some of you will run through your entire allowance of points during the test. If so, you will fail and will be asked to leave." His grin was enough to warn that there would be consequences if any protests were made.

Eizan nodded and compared the rules to the other test and had to admit that they were slightly similar from the test that her brother had taken. She moved to flip over her paper, thinking that he would now tell them to start. However, his hand continued to write out a fourth rule. "And the forth and final rule," he spoke as her hand froze as she had gripped the test paper.

"Anyone who has no points left at the test's end--whether due to being caught cheating or to an inability to answer any of the questions correctly--will automatically fail," he turned as he finished writing. "If a single individual fails, the remaining two members of that person's cell will be failed as well."

There were several exclamations then as Eizan smacked her hand against her face with a groan. A few rows in front of her, Amane let her head fall against the desk with a resounding bang as the Hyuuga prodigy glanced at her in confusion. Iwane scratched the back of her head and started to laugh rather loudly as one of the proctors told her to be quiet.

Sasuke glanced at the short haired kunoichi as she had smacked herself and lifted an eyebrow, but then understood her reasons when he heard one of her teammates let her head fall against the desk and then the other burst out laughing. It seemed they had one just like Naruto on their team as he glanced at said blonde in exasperation.

Meanwhile, Naruto shuddered as he hugged himself and rubbed his hands up and down against his arms. "I can feel that someone wants to kill me," he whined to himself and knew who the two were. He turned toward the main examiner as he stepped away from the black board, having let the chalk fall on the piece of wood jutting from the wall that was there for that purpose.

His face was hardened into a frown before he grinned slightly. "You have one hour starting...now!" he said as the clock struck four o'clock in the afternoon. The sun was sinking closer to the western horizon as the young Genin turned their tests over and started. Many were reading the questions with worried looks, others glanced around momentarily, and a few started to write almost immediately.

Eizan had frowned in Iwane's direction momentarily and then started to write immediately. She was sure that Amane knew more than her, especially the ones that involved math. While she didn't know as much math as the wind user, she was confident about the other problems. So, she got started on the first question and saw that you had to decode a cipher and summarize the meaning.

She read over the second question and sighed as she glanced in Iwane's direction and saw the girl shift her shoulders from the left to the right. It seemed like an attempt to remove the tension in her shoulders, but Eizan's eyes narrowed as she then shifted them to the left. Her gaze flicked in that direction and saw the window that was besides her.

A smirk twisted her lips as she saw the leaf shinobi that was one seat behind the earth user. His had was moving with fail over the sheet of paper in front of him, and wasn't glancing around like many Genin in the room were. _'Chunin?'_ she wondered. It seemed probable. _'I see now.' _

Her blood rimmed eyes left him and moved along the room and spotted two others scattered around the Genin. This wasn't so much a test to know how much you knew, but how much information you could gather. _'Stealing information without getting caught,'_ she mused with a slight grin. She refrained from rubbing her hands together and instead concentrated on what her next course of action would be.

Eizan closed her eyes as her pencil stilled over the paper and she used her other hand to form a single seal under the desk. The temperature in the room rose a few degrees but nothing more, and a part of the window's glass beside Iwane started to melt. It reformed quickly and silently.

It was just within Iwane's line of sight so that she would only have to shift her eyes to the side. Also, since she was sitting at the edge, she made sure to have it almost against the wood and high up so the proctors that were at the front or sitting against the wall didn't see it.

The small Katon jutsu turned the glass into a roughly made mirror and which would allow her to see the test paper of the person behind her. It hadn't used too much chakra and it was still too distorted for anyone to see it properly. However, for Iwane's sharp eyes it would be no problem.

Having taken care of that she answered the question she could, and kept watch over her teammates out of her peripheral vision. They had designed some signals in case they needed help on a question and had to make sure to be paying attention to both girls. So far she was lost on the second question since it had quite a bit of math, and it was the same for questions five and eight.

Eizan was wondering what the deal was with question ten when she saw Amane scratch her head out of the corner of her eye. Her pointer, middle and index finger moved in the motion and the others were rolled into the palm of her hand.

The girl was to her right side and two rows in front of her. Since it was fairly quiet in the room any sound made would be easily picked up by Amane's sensitive hearing. She started t move her pencil as she gazed at her test, and let it tap against the desk quickly and in a distinct rhythm that the girl would understand.

Over the last year, they had developed a way to communicate with one another without having to use words and not even Enoki was able to break it. After a moment, where it only appeared like Eizan was doing the soft tapping as a habit, the other girl gave a sigh and she stopped almost immediately.

Around the room, many had already picked up on the subtle hint that their only way to answer the questions was to cheat. Then it started as many commenced their own way to steal the answers from those that had already had them, or that knew them to be placed there judging by the constant movement of their pencil. During this time, many were caught and points were deducted without their knowledge for the moment.

Amane glanced out of the corner of her eye at the Hyuuga and saw the veins around his eyes protruding against the skin. She knew this to be his Kekkei Genkai and so that meant that he had already started gathering the information he needed.

However, she had come to the eighth question and answered it quickly but knew that Eizan wouldn't be able to. Just like she had given her the answer for the second and fifth one, she pushed back her bangs with all five fingers as she extracted two fingers from the pencil that was gripped before her as she lifted her head slightly.

Eizan caught the sign and cleared her throat to indicate that she had seen it and the other started to wag the pencil in the air before her, concentrating on the paper. There was a certain fluid that could almost be said of the movements, but that was because they had designed this code so that they each communicated in a slightly different way.

Her eyes narrowed and shifted to the side, taking in the information quickly, and before the other started to run it over again, to make sure she had it, she sighed and the other stopped.

As she wrote the answer to number eight, she saw as Iwane stretched her arms over her head and then curl all of her fingers into two fists. That was the signal that she had finished the test and only needed the last question that informed the reader of it being asked after forty-five minutes into the test. Each girl wondered especially about this one but Eizan was distracted as she saw the signal for the ninth question.

Moving, she started the soft tapping against the desk as she rested her head against her other hand and peered almost longingly at the paper, as if she were trying to think of the answer.

When she heard the other sigh, she stopped and then started to move her pencil over the paper. There was nothing more to write and so she merely started to doodle on the paper, and before she realized it, she had written the kanji signs for love and death.

She glanced to the right and was able to see Gaara. His eyes were closed and his fingers were pressed against his left one. Eizan recognized the jutsu as his Daisan no Me. He closed the hand that he held in front of him and he noticed that he had also brought the chief examiner's attention to him.

The short kunoichi winced suddenly and closed her eyes with a sigh. _'Something's in my eye'_, she muttered to herself, but then froze and moved her arms to fold them before her. He was using the technique and it appeared as if Eizan's test was his target. If it had been anyone else, she would have dispelled the jutsu because a shinobi at times had to hide information even against the ninja of your own village, but this was Gaara. Even if it brought about her own destruction, she wouldn't care as long as she helped him.

After a few minutes, she moved one arm to rub her sore eyes, but still left the other in place in case he was still writing the answers down. When she was able to see, she discreetly glanced down and was in time to see the eye disappear in a swirl of sand. She closed her eyes to make sure no more of it got into them again. Amane had already given her the signal that she'd finished and so she rested her head on the table and let her crimson tinted orbs close.

Her long bangs fell over her hitai-ate and over her closed eyes. She shifted her head to the side and to Gaara's direction, but didn't notice since she was tired. Her eyes had been feeling heavy all day, since she hadn't gotten too much sleep last night, or the night before that.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The scarlet haired youth had used his third eye technique, and when it had appeared in front of his subordinate it was to see that all nine questions were answered. He had been watching them and seen the exchange that the proctors had missed.

Gaara had witnessed them train on several occasions and he'd seen the code they had used. Seeing it now had been enough proof that they had been exchanging answers. He wasn't able to break it himself and had to use Daisan no Me to get the answers.

He picked up his pencil and quickly started to copy the answers on his own sheet of paper. When he finished he disconnected the third eye and then turned to look at Eizan to see if she had noticed the eye. This wasn't necessary since he'd seen her fold her arms in front of the paper so that it would be covered from view. _'Then why bother to look in her direction?' _

Her head was resting at an angle against her arms so her face was exposed to his sight. He saw the slight shadows under her eyes as he frowned, and then chastised himself because he wasn't supposed to care. Also, he noticed for the first time that Uchiha Sasuke was sitting one seat away from her.

Minutes before, a Genin had been caught cheating one too many times and had been failed, and the male sitting between them had been in his team. Now there was no one there, and he felt a burning heat form in his chest as he saw the black haired boy turn to glance at the kunoichi, whose eyes were still closed as if in slumber.

It was apparent that he wasn't trying to cheat off her since her arms were resting over her test and his had been turned over to indicate that he was finished. '_So why the hell is he **looking** at her?'_ he growled silently, hands clenching into fists.

Before he could even think of doing anything, his twisted mind already thinking up ways to make the black haired boy suffer, the chief examiner cleared his throat. He announced that they going to be asked the tenth question at this point. Then he also explained that he would add a new rule.

Glancing –more like glaring– one last time at Uchiha Sasuke, he turned his attention to the front. Kankurou had just arrived after having been in the restroom. He'd been handcuffed and taken by one of the proctors, but Gaara knew that it had been Karasu, his marionette, which he controlled with his Chakra.

The examiner smirked. "Just in time," he spoke to him. "It seems the time you've spent playing with dolls won't go to waste," he said slyly. When the youth seemed to be confused as well as alarmed, the other male waved him off. "Don't worry about it, just take your seat." He did as told, moving past Temari and making sure to slip her the answers for the first nine questions. It seemed that they had been cutting it a bit too close, but at least now they had the information needed to pass the first part of the exam.

The room was completely silent, quite a few seats having been emptied during the exam by those that had been caught cheating five times. There were still thirty-one teams present, not counting the three Chunin that were scattered around. "Let me explain. This rule is absolute. First, you must choose whether to accept or reject this tenth question."

Temari frowned as she continued to grip the paper with the answers in her palm. "Ch-choose?" she asked loudly. "What happens if someone doesn't accept the question?"

The man took this time to stuff his hands into the pockets of his long leather coat. "If you reject the question and don't even try answering it, then you'll lose all your points immediately and fail!" Once again there would be a cacophony of surprised voices that sprung up following this. "And both your teammates will fail right along with you."

This time there were many distinct yells from the Genin. "Say what?!" one male ninja shouted. "Then why would anyone choose to reject it?"

His features held the same chiseled expression that he'd worn for most of the explanation. "Because of the second part of the rule." While it seemed strange that there were all these rules, they still listened without interrupting. "If you tried to answer the question and got it wrong, you will never be permitted to apply for the Chunin Exam, not ever."

One of the boys from the rookie teams slammed his fist against the test before pointing at the examiner, his small dog barking angrily as he yelled. "You can't be serious! That's ridiculous!!" The red stripes on his cheeks gave him a wilder look. "There are ninja here who've sat for the Chunin Exams more than once already! We know there are!"

He would stop as the tall man chuckled slightly, but his face was still hardened into a frown. "Just your rotten luck," he commented, the head band cast a shadow over his eyes so he looked more menacing. "I wasn't making the rules in past years. I am now." He stepped forward once, his hands still in the pockets of his coat. "I've been up front with you. You can take a failing grade now, and try again later. Anyone who has doubts would be smart to reject the tenth question right now." His lips spread into a grin, turning slightly to the side so that he would be looking at them out of the corner of his eye. "Come back and reapply next year, and the year after that."

Iwane folded her arms behind her head and gave a cocky smile but stayed put. She saw Amane as she rested her arms before her and leaned against them, but the slight curve of her lips also indicated that she would not back off. Eizan, meanwhile, was glancing around the entirety of the room to see if any were looking to refuse the last question. There was no way she was going to back down from this.

"Ready?" Morino asked. "Then let's begin. Those who chose not to accept should raise their hands. Once their number is confirmed, they will have to leave the room."

The first hand lifted and they replied that they were rejecting the question. The Genin besides Naruto stood and announced that he was also refusing to answer the question, and he was failed along with his teammates.

A few more teams failed and then it seemed that no one else was going to give up. Suddenly, the fire user turned and looked at the blonde boy, seeing as he lifted his hand into the air.

_'He's giving up?'_ she thought, not quite believing it since she'd picked up a defiant attitude from him. She had thought him different, but even she was mistaken at times when it came to reading people.

His entire arm was shaking as he lifted it up, closing his startling blue eyes. After a moment, he slammed his hand down against the desk as a fiercely determined look spread over his features. "Never underestimate me!" he yelled at the examiner, shocking many of the ninja.

"I don't quit and I won't run away! I'll accept your stupid question. Even if I risk ending up a Genin for the rest of my life, I'll still become Hokage, even if I can only make it by pure stubbornness. I don't care!" With an arrogant grin, he pointed at Morino. "I'm not afraid of you!"

While Naruto had had his outburst, the chief examiner hadn't moved a muscle in his body or his face. He glanced around and there didn't seem to be anyone else that would quit. "I'll ask one last time," he tried again. "This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now, while you still have the chance."

Naruto grinned back at him, steadfast in his decision. "I never go back on my word," he responded, slightly adjusting the Konoha hitai-ate at his forehead. "Cussedness is part of my shinobi skill set!" While many in the room had commented, at one point or another, that Naruto was below ninja skill they couldn't help but smirk. Even shinobi from Amegakure and Takigakure were either smirking or grinning. It seemed that the loud blonde had dashed away their doubts, as well as his own.

Morino looked on, his facial expression not having changed yet as he glanced around. _'Eighty-four of them are still here. He dispelled their doubt and hesitation. More than I expected.'_

Turning, he glanced at the other proctors and they all nodded. _'There's no point in dragging it on. Thanks to him, no one else will quit.'_ His gaze would once again settle on the Genin. "Good call. So, everyone who is still here," he started, seeing a lot of them tense or pale in anticipation. "You've just passed the first exam!"-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**_End Chapter Eleven_**


	13. Memories and the Second Exam

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** This next chapter has two new characters that were already mentioned in chapter seven. I knew I had to add Haku and as I was writing it I completely forgot to include him until chapter sixteen. So I had to rewrite chapter twelve after I realized that I'd forgotten to include him in chapter eleven, again! Poor Haku, he's so unloved, heh. I like the way it came out. Enjoy!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Twelve: Memories and the Second Exam**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Would you hurry up!" an annoyed voice yelled from the living room down stairs. She huffed as she passed a brush through her light brown hair as a beam of sunlight flittered through the curtain and lit up the natural blonde highlights.

"Shut up, shut up!" she replied in earnest. She'd gotten a late start and now they might be late for the first part of the exam. If they were late then she was sure they'd be disqualified on the spot. Her brother would kill her if she allowed that to happen.

"You take too damn long, woman!" the voice called out again. Her left amethyst eye twitched as she pulled her shoulder length strands into a ponytail and then smoothed out the rouge strands. "You know if we don't get moving we'll miss seeing the rookies up close! You won't get to see your little boyfriend!"

Sanako blinked and slipped on her sandals, wrapped her hitai-ate around her waist tightly and bolted out of the room. "I'm ready!" she practically screamed and made for the door as she hastily secured her pouch and kunai holsters. "Well come on! We're going to be late!"

Haku looked at the slightly shorter boy besides him with a raised eyebrow. "Works every time," he said with a grin that lit up his cobalt eyes. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and sauntered after his twin sister as short, wild dark brown hair shifted with his movements.

The former mist ninja smirked after a moment and wondered what it would take to motivate Anzai the way he did to his sister. It might be interesting to know for future reference. Haku, the boy now known as Hideaki Takejiro, shook his head and hurried after his two amusing teammates.

"Hurry up, Anzai-kun!"

"Yeah, shut up already!" he grumbled. "I mention his name and you come running. Pathetic." A moment later the sound of a fist connecting with a skull was heard as Haku winced.

"He should've kept his mouth shut," he muttered with a sigh. It was going to be a long day.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Holy-!"

"Shh," she chastised the boy besides her as her eyes narrowed on the figure that had just sent the Oto-nin flying.

"You're disturbing the peace," the shortest Suna-nin told the boy with the bandages coldly. His eyes were narrowed but the girl observing them was close enough to see them and was slightly taken back.

"He has blood-rimmed eyes," she muttered to no one in particular. She was leaning against the table and her sight had been previously locked on a certain rookie but now she was concentrating on the warriors from Sand. Her two teammates were standing besides her.

"You think it's a Dojutsu, Take?" her brother asked the tallest member of their team.

Haku was watching the three with interest and shook his head. "I'm not sure, Anzai-san," he muttered, trying to keep his voice down. "But I'm sure of one thing. His speed was frightening."

Sanako frowned and nodded. She had to agree with him on that one. He'd moved so fast that he had seemed to disappear completely. "Hai. Frightening."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A figure was crouched over the Shodaime's head and staring over its edge at the lights that had started to appear all over the village like stardust in the night's sky. She straightened after a moment and passed a hand through her unruly bangs.

The first part of the exam had ended some time ago but she had decided to forgo training that night since it wouldn't have mattered with the second part occurring tomorrow. Her crimson edged eyes scanned the city as she thought back to the exam.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_"The tenth question was the first real test in the exam." Many were confused by this, but Morino continued on before anyone could ask him to explain. "The tenth question was a choice between two options that were both difficult and dangerous. Those who chose to reject it were failed, and their friends along with them. Those who chose to accept and couldn't answer the question lost any chance of even trying again." He chuckled slightly. "It was a nasty, unfair, no-win set of options."_

_Many still seemed confused. "So, why did I present them?" He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat once again. "Let's suppose you all go on to successfully attain the rank of Chunin. You're assigned to steal a vital enemy document, knowing nothing about the skills, deployment, or military preparedness of your foe. You may have to cross a territory that has been heavily mined and set with traps. Now, do you accept your mission? Or do you reject it rather than place your own life—or the lives of your companions—in jeopardy? Could any Chunin get away with only taking on the safe jobs? Of course not!"_

_Eizan had been leaning back in her seat a bit and had glanced at her teammates. She saw Iwane shaking slightly and realized that she was trying not to laugh. At times, the girl was strange but also unpredictable and that's what gave her an edge. Turning toward Amane, she saw her hands stuffed into her pockets and knew the right one would be clutching that item she kept with her at all times._

_"No matter how dangerous the risk, there will be missions that you cannot decline. A ninja must demonstrate valor that inspires those around him or her, helping all to overcome their fear. This is the talent that we most value in the commander of a Chunin cell."  
_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Her features twisted into a frown but then they smoothed out the next moment. Gaara had left the room quickly after the second chief examiner had been introduced—her methods a bit too loud for her tastes—and she had seen the glare he had sent her way. She'd been confused and wondered what she had done to upset him. Then the red haired shinobi had redirected his glare toward Uchiha Sasuke and left the room.

His actions would suggest jealousy, but he had stated himself that he only considered her property. She was nothing more than a tool to use to his desires. That's how she'd offered herself to him all those years ago, so she guessed that she shouldn't find it too shocking that he still only thought of her as that.

Eizan had turned to face the black haired boy and their gazes had met over the distance. He'd been about to speck but she glared at him and turned away. She'd met up with her teammates and noticed that both Iwane and Amane were the recipients of the Hyuuga boy's stares. They'd both been relieved when she'd slipped through the door without a backwards look at the room.

They separated outside of the building after informing them that there would be no training that night. She made them promise that they'd have a good night's sleep before she'd left.

The Ashikaga had taken to the streets of Konohagakure. In the end she'd wound up here after night fall. Now she stuffed her hands into her pockets as she shivered slightly. The night was slightly cooler than the day. She missed the heat of Suna.

Her eyes narrowed as her hand unconsciously flicked out a kunai and threw it into the gathering darkness. The sound of it being deflected reached her ears as she smirked but she made no other move to attack or to turn around for that matter. "You shouldn't sneak up on people," she chastised quietly as her left hand came to rest at her side once more.

The offender slipped out from the shadows and stopped behind her. They offered the kunai she had thrown and Eizan chuckled. She took it and slipped it back into its holster all without taking her eyes from the city lights. Suna didn't look like this and so she was momentarily over come with the overflow of color and light.

"The ground here is too hard," the taller figure replied. Leaning down, emerald eyes locked with her red soaked ones as a smirk lifted thin lips made for laughing. "Don't you agree, Eizan-sama?"

The fire user sighed and stuffed her hands into her pockets and shook her head. "It's too cold," she complained. As she said this her hands were pulling her shirt more tightly around her, but she paused as she glanced at her teammate. "Where's Amane?"

Iwane visibly flinched before scratching the back of her head. "Well, you see-" She stopped what she was going to say when she saw the glare that Eizan was fixing her with. "You know how stubborn she is, Eizan-sama!" she whined. The Erizawa crossed her arms over her chest. "She's like a goat."

Eizan laughed despite herself. "She'll be tempted to knock you out if she learns about that comment, Iwa-kun," she informed her. She saw the other panic and tried not to laugh again. "Now, where is she?"

Iwane folded her arms under her head as she yawned, and kicked a stone over the edge where she heard it hit the ground below after several long seconds. "She went off on her own, but told me to keep an eye out for you," she said, giving a wink. So, she was being watched this whole time, and she'd most likely kept her distance until Eizan had come to stop on top of the mountain. "I think she went off to train."

She frowned and then turned her glare on the taller girl. "She went off on her own?" she asked. Many might've seen her as a harmless child, but Iwane knew that she could be quite frightening when she was angered.

The Doton specialist held up both hands and seemed alarmed suddenly. "Like I told you!" she exclaimed. "She's a freaking goat! I can't talk her out of anything when she's made up her mind about something!"

Eizan seemed to think about this and nodded as she turned away from the other girl who had backed off a step. "She always was hard headed," she commented and it was slightly surprising to her that she knew this. Thinking about it, she realized that she knew a lot more than she would have a year before. She stepped forward. "Look for her." The fire wielder wasted no time and jumped off the edge, and she quickly disappeared and appeared on a rooftop several yards away.

Iwane's face split into a grin as she nodded and saluted. "Hai, Eizan-sama!" She quickly headed in the opposite direction that her unofficial leader had gone in. It had gotten darker but luckily Iwane's sight would allow her to see fairly well.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane sighed as she leaned against the trunk of the tree, sliding along it so that she was crouched on the ground, but still keeping her back pressed on the tree. The sun was starting to already dip into the horizon, and soon she wouldn't be able to see too well. Even then she continued to stay in place.

The first part of the exam had been easier than she'd anticipated, and wondered what the other would consist of. After seeing the chief examiner, Mitarashi Anko, she was certain that it would be a bit more interesting. A smirk spread over her features as she thought of what awaited her tomorrow.

Mitarashi-san had told them that the second part of the test would be held in an undisclosed location. Their Jonin instructors would be told in the morning and they'd relay the message to them so they'd meet there an hour before eight. Apparently this one was going to be harder then first one, if the look on the examiner's face was any indication. The wind user hoped it was, since she really didn't want to pass through this exam without a challenge.

Eizan had gone off by herself once again as she had been doing a lot lately. She was worried and had sent Iwane to tail her while she went off to think a few things over as well. That was, she got a much needed break from the earth user.

Amane cared deeply for the Erizawa and Kami knew she had a lot of patience when it came to her, but at times she even got on _her_ nerves. She let her lips lift into a slight smile thinking about her teammate, since she knew that she meant well. After all, Eizan and she were the only ones that knew why she had changed so drastically over the last year.

She sighed and leaned her head back against the hard surface of the tree trunk. Her elbows were resting against her bent knees and her hands were hanging between her legs. She started to absently pull out the grass as she let her memories invade her mind.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_It was suppose to be an easy C-rank mission to escort their charge through Stone Territory unnoticed and it would be the end of it. Enoki-sensei had been away on his own mission and they'd been lead by a Chunin. She knew him, very well actually. They'd been unexpectedly attacked and she'd been separated from Iwane and Eizan in enemy territory. Their rendezvous point was on the edge of Stone lands. _

_A storm had been approaching and the ledge they had walked over had crumbled as they had passed, and he had shoved her toward safety. He fell as she got to her feet, turned around and gasped. She scrambling toward the edge as her heart pounded in her chest and she peered over expecting the worse. _

_However, he had managed to grab hold of a tree root. She didn't even have to look at the cliff face to know that he'd never be able to get a good enough grip, even if he used chakra. He'd just slide down and not make any progress. "Take my hand," she yelled as she stretched out her arm as far as she dared, and she knew her voice sounded frightened and shrill._

_He frowned as he glanced up at her, and the strain was evident on his face as sweat beaded across his forehead. The dark tresses of his hair had started to cling to the sides of his damp features as he lifted his free hand and groped for hers. He missed several times but finally managed to grab hold. "Okay," he gasped, feeling as she started to pull him up._

_"Hold on," she moaned, pulling up as hard as she could. She didn't know where Eizan and Iwane were, but she knew they'd never reach them in time. More than likely they were moving toward their rendezvous point with the client. So, she knew that it was up to her to pull him up. She **had **to pull him up! _

_Since they'd started this mission there had been a strange foreboding at the back of her mind that usually only Iwane ever experienced. Now she knew that she should have followed that instinct that told her to flee from this mission._

_Amane pulled again, but felt herself slip forward as she gasped. The more she pulled the more she slipped, and since she was lying flat against the ground she had nothing to hold onto but the grass beneath her._ _She slid forward more as her waist grazed close to the edge, and she glanced down at him._

_His face was like stone and when he lifted his dark brown eyes to meet hers she shook her head. Her heart constricted when he nodded, the wind already starting to increase. The clouds that had been brewing on the horizon had blocked out the soft moon's light. She suddenly wished for the heat of summer. "Let me go, it's over." His voice cut through the sound of the wind whipping around her and her heart as she shook her head vehemently._

_"No! I'm not going to let you go, Akuro," she growled and pulled, and then immediately felt herself slip more toward the edge. "If you keep holding onto the root, I can use some rope and kunai to get you up." Her voice was hurried, but she knew that she didn't have any rope. Also, he couldn't use his own kunai to pull himself up since there was no room around the rocks of the cliff face. Meeting his gaze, she knew that he was thinking the same thing._

_Suddenly, the wind picked up and she gasped again as she slid more. She tried to use her knees to move her body back to no avail. If she didn't think of something quick, they would both fall over the edge. The wire she had was too thin and would snap under his weight, and the storm was starting to get worse as the wind became more violent. After a moment she felt raindrops starting to hit her back. "Let go," he repeated._

_The Itagaki refused to release him as the rain came in torrents and started to soak them completely through. The soil she was on became softer and started to give way under her. A few more inches and she'd lose her balance and topple over. He knew this and she knew this. She couldn't save him. _

_Amane felt his fingers loosen around her arm and he immediately started to slip since her skin had become slick with the rain. She gasped and grabbed his hand with both of hers. "No, please don't!" she cried out to him._

_He smiled as their gazes intertwined over the distance. _'I love you,'_ she saw him mouth before her grip slipped. He fell and was quickly swallowed up by the gathering darkness. _

_The scream that followed was unlike anything she'd ever heard and it was several seconds before she realized that it was coming from her. She couldn't stop screaming his name, over and over as she peered over the edge as she tried to catch a glimpse of him._

_**"AKURO!"  
**_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Itagaki Amane shuddered as she was shaken back to reality, and she could almost hear the thunder again if she closed her eyes. It had come after he had fallen and had drowned out her screams and cries. She might have been laying there for hours with her arms extended over the edge before her teammates found her.

By that time she was completely drenched and her eyes were red from all the tears she'd shed. They'd found his body several hours later and the shallow river below hadn't been deep enough to save him. If he'd had more experience in releasing his chakra then he might have been able to cushion his fall. The only comfort, however small, was that he had died instantly. His neck had broken upon impact so he hadn't had time to suffer.

Her hands wiped at her still dry eyes, and the action was second nature since she hadn't shed a tear since that horrible night. During the days that followed she had isolated herself inside her room, since her parents were never home she was alone most of the time. They had always been distant people and so she would have rejected any comfort they may have offered. It would never happen since they were shinobi.

A slight smirk lifted the corners of her lips when she remembered the day Eizan had gotten fed up with her. The young girl had kicked open her front door, and marched into her room with a frightening expression adorning her features. While she had half expected her to beat some sense into her, she had been surprised when she had reached out and pulled her into a fierce hug. After telling her that she could take all the time she needed and that she would be here for her, she had practically dragged her outside.

_'I thought you said I could take all the time I needed!'_ she had yelled at her, pulling against the hold the shorter girl had on the back of her shirt. Even if Amane was several inches taller, Eizan was actually monstrously strong since her chakra control was the best among the three of them.

When they had reached their destination, which was one of the training grounds they regularly used, she had given an affirmative and released her.

_'Hai, you can take all the time you want, but I'll be damned if I let you lock yourself inside to rot,'_ she had snarled and when she went to protest, she was cut off. _'Also, **she** is driving me crazy!' _Apparently, with Amane still grieving, Iwane had turned her full attention toward Eizan and had her at her wits' end.

Amane chuckled to herself and pictured the look on the Ashikaga's face that day, and she'd even gone so far as to wave her arms around. That's when she'd realized that the once callous and closed off girl had come to depend on both their company to sate the loneliness that gnawed at her insides. She'd always been with Gaara but he hardly spoke to the girl and his cold demeanor didn't allow her to get close to him. She loved him but she still felt an emptiness inside her heart. That day she'd also realized that they'd started to fill some of that void inside of her.

A sigh left her lips when a shadow settled over her slouched form, and she lifted her head as her gaze met with pale blue eyes. "May I help you?" she asked him. She remembered that Kabuto had named Rock Lee's teammates, and this one was called Hyuuga Neji. She had heard him approaching but had hoped he would retreat and leave her in peace. At times, her luck was as bad as Eizan's.

"I recognize you," he said, his voice sounding cold. She ran a hand through her hair and glanced away in annoyance at his insistence. Her head tilted back and she met his eyes again and his expression indicated that this time he wouldn't back off as he had earlier that day.

Her left leg was bent, foot resting against the ground, and now she pulled it against her chest and wrapped her arms around it. "So what?" She allowed herself the luxury of closing her eyes since she relied more on her hearing than her eyes. When she thought that she had failed to hear the ledge crumbling under her that day, she winced and flinched unpleasantly. "I'm sure it's not rare to see one of us humans," she said sarcastically. She waved her hand absently, listening to any movements he might make.

He shook his head, and he was almost certain that she knew this but not sure how since her eyes were closed. "It was you," he said as he dismissed her sarcasm. She heard him move and lean against the same tree as she was sitting against, but another section of it. "Besides, that hair of yours is a dead giveaway." When she sighed, he smirked slightly and he wondered why he was speaking with her.

He knew she was a kunoichi and thinking how he had found out then, he almost blushed but managed to save face. The only thing that he allowed himself to think of what had happened was, _'Damn Byakugan!'_ He was certain the female would pummel him if she found out, and he wouldn't necessarily blame her for wanting to do it. Judging by what he had seen and the amount of time he had been frozen in stupid wonderment at the fact that not only was she a girl, but one with a well developed body, he'd _ask_ her to knock him senseless.

Amane shrugged and slouched against the tree trunk. "Your point being?" she asked him, and he was slightly annoyed by her bored tone. She hopped to her feet and then turned to look at him as she rested her hands at her hips. "If you've come to issue a challenge for overhearing your conversation, then do so. If not, then stop wasting my time." Her voice had been like a knife and the tone touching on a chilling cruelty. Neji found himself pinned with her dark eyes, seeing their frozen surfaces and knew that like him, she held a pain deep inside.

Neji shook these thoughts off and shifted to look at her better. "I might, but not so close to the second part of the exam," he commented before shrugging. Then he was grinning as he wondered just how strong she could be. She was certainly attractive but wondered if she had anymore than speed at her disposal. He wasn't the type of person that could only look at a person superficially though did consider that a person's fate was seal as soon as they were born. All he had to do was figure out if she was a drop out or like him. "I'll look forward to seeing how you fare." He straightened and started to walk away.

She frowned and quickly jumped into the tree branches and was gone. "Don't disappoint me either," he heard her parting words as the Hyuuga turned to look where she had been standing moments before. He wasn't able to see her anymore, even when he activated his Byakugan and he smirked. It seemed that things were getting rather interesting, in more ways than one. He turned once more to leave but something caught his eye, and he moved toward the base of the tree that she'd been sitting against.

He crouched down and reached out to lift the object into his hand. There were signs of wear on it and it appeared that she'd had it for a long time, and wondered what value it presented to her. After a moment, he let a smirk spread over his lips before standing and pocketing the item. He might just have some fun with this.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan groaned softly as she was awoken and yawned before rolling over in her futon to try and resume the dream she had been having. While she didn't remember what it had been about she knew that she had been enjoying it. However, it seemed that the noise that woke her up didn't want to let her fall back into that sweet oblivion. After several moments, which she spent cursing anything she could think of, she opened her eyes.

The room was still completely dark, and the ceiling stared back at her before she turned to her side so that she faced the sliding door that opened onto the small balcony the room was equipped with. There was a faint light coming from the restroom. She turned that way as quietly as she could and saw Amane exit it and move toward the balcony. The older girl pushed open the sliding down, hopped onto the ledge and jumped off.

The Ashikaga was instantly alert as she sat up and left her futon. She didn't understand why Amane had suddenly left and without telling her. She only spared a few moments to put on her sandals and then left the same way that the other had.

She was wearing a white shirt and a pair of shorts, and she hadn't even bothered to grab her hitai-ate so her bangs fell over and around her eyes. There hadn't even been enough time to grab her weapons, but she did at least have her wire mesh shirt. From what she'd seen, Amane's hair had been loose; she hadn't carried any weapons, and had only been wearing the sleeveless shirt.

There was no sign of her teammate but she continued to move because she was worried about her being out alone, unarmed and unprotected in a strange shinobi village. It was always the case that trouble seemed to find their little group, and she had thought Amane to be more responsible since she'd always been a clearheaded person. The only thing that'd be enough to make her loose her mind would be...

She shuddered as she recalled the night they'd found the girl after Akuro had fallen and hearing the other weeping hysterically. It had chilled her to her very soul, and she had sworn that if ever did anything useful while she lived, then she'd make sure to never let anything else hurt her friend like that again.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Her hands had frantically searched through her pockets and then she had practically torn her bag apart, but there was no sign of it anywhere. She had been trying not to make any noise, especially as she left the Inn, yet nothing but her most priced possession had been of concern. Amane didn't know how it was possible for her to have lost it when she always made sure when she slipped her hands into her pockets. Many thought it was a habit or a gesture of trying to act cool, but only her teammates and she knew the real reason for that. It was always there, out of sight and secure, and yet she had forgotten to check last night.

Amane's legs ached since she'd been running at top speed to get across the city and to the forest, but she wasn't sure she would be able to find the exact place she had been at. She knew that she would try, and search all night if she had to. All thoughts of the exam had left her mind, and she didn't care of she completely missed the second part. The thought of actually risking her friends' anger and annoyance paled in comparison to finding it.

She landed within the darkness of the forest and started to search the base of every single tree that looked like the one she'd been sitting against, which meant that she checked every single one since they all looked the same. As she looked her mind wandered back to when she had first given it to Akuro. She'd been so nervous because she was afraid that he wouldn't accept it.

There had been many Academy students that were cruel toward her and Iwane simply because they were related to Eizan, but he had been different. He was Ogata Akuro, and he had befriended both girls easily enough, and would have done the same with the fire user, but Eizan wasn't the most friendly person during those times, and then there were the death glares the red head sent his way every time he tried to talk to her.

Amane knew that Akuro was the only one that had seen these glances that were directed at any male that even looked her way, and he understood it where no one else dared to try. He would have tried to confront the boy on his true feelings for the girl, but he valued his life. His reasons would have been his own but it was for Amane whom he had feelings for, but hadn't been able to confess to.

A sad smile curved her lips when she recalled the day he had finally gotten the courage to tell her, and by that time she had been trying to figure out if he felt the same way as she did. He was older than her, and Akuro had been her first crush. When they had met, he was in his last year at the Academy and the three of them and the red head had graduated two years later.

Akuro had left to take the Chunin Exam, which was held in Kusagakure that year, and he was able to attain the rank of Chunin. When Enoki was away on a mission he was the only Chunin that would volunteer to take command of their Genin team. The night he died, they had been on a routine C-rank escort mission that had gone terribly wrong.

Amane came out of her thoughts as she lifted her head when she sensed the residual signal of her chakra from one of the trees. She moved toward it and crouched down to search since she was certain that this was the tree she had been leaning against. After a few moments Amane realized that it wasn't there, but even then she couldn't stop looking. Something drove her hands to keep tearing at the grass in a desperate attempt to find it.

The Itagaki didn't even turn around when she felt a presence land behind her, since she already knew whom it was. She almost flung off the hand Eizan placed on her shoulder. "I...can't find it. W-what am I g-going to do?" she whimpered, her eyes already brimming with tears she had not shed in so long.

Ashikaga Eizan frowned and now realized why her teammate was out here and in such a state. She moved and kneeled besides her as she started to search with her. Amane glanced at her in confusion, and the tears gathered in the dark orbs spilled over her cheeks before she turned and wiped at her eyes with her arm.

After several minutes she stood and walked away from the tree and fell her hands and knees. She pounded the ground with a fist since she couldn't believe that she'd lost it. The one thing that meant more to her than anything else, besides her loyalty toward Eizan and Iwane, and it was gone.

A curtain of dark brown strands, that looked black in the darkness, covered her face as she felt more tears trail down her cheeks. The shorter girl came to bend over her and helped her stand as she draped Amane's arm over her shoulder, and wrapped her left arm around the taller ninja's waist. She was practically dead weight and yet the raven haired Suna-nin dragged her along as if she weighed nothing, managing to hop onto the rooftops to increase their speed.

They had arrived at the ryokan in no time and then the balcony as they entered the dark room. Iwane was awake and wordlessly helped Eizan get Amane across the room and into her futon where she thoroughly passed out from exhaustion.

Iwane sat back and when her friend's breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep she turned to look at Eizan. "I woke up and you were both gone," she spoke quietly, returning her gaze to the other. She was sitting with her legs crossed before her, hands resting on her knees. "What happened?" It had been a long time since she had seen her like this.

Eizan was leaning against the sliding door, which was still opened so that the moon's light cut across the darkened room and settled over Amane's still form. "She lost it," she answered with a sigh and ran a hand through her already wild locks. Her hands were still filthy from having been searching the ground for the valued trinket. "It must have slipped out of her pocket sometime last night."

Realization dawned on the Erizawa's features at hearing this, and her body was now turned so that she could keep both girls in her line of sight. "Oh," she only commented as she lowered her head. It was common knowledge between them that it was the only thing of value she now owned, and losing it would be enough to send her into a hysterical state. She sighed and flicked her bangs out of her face, and wondered why it had to happen now of all days. "What are we going to do about tomorrow?"

Eizan shrugged her shoulders and closed the sliding door as she shivered, since the night was chilly despite it being July, and slid into her own futon. "What Amane wants to do," she merely responded and pulled the covers over her shoulders and turned on her side. "Get some rest."

After a few moments, Eizan heard the Doton user get into her futon and turn her body toward the wind user. She heard when she fell asleep, but even then she lay awake. For more than an hour sleep would not come as she remembered her teammates' panicked stated as she looked for her lost possession. She rubbed her weary eyes and sighed and moments later settled into a restless sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Many were startled into silence as they gazed up into the fenced jungle that stood before them, and some even had the dignity to gulp nervously. "This is the arena for the second exam. Training ground 44," Mitarashi Anko spoke, grinning maliciously as she observed some of the faces of the Genin gathered there. "Also known as the **Forest of Death**!"

Her hands were stuffed into the pockets of her long khaki coat that ended at the backs of her knees, and was worn over a body suit made out of thin wire mesh which hugged her curves. She also wore a short skirt that hung loose on her hips and shin guards that went to her ninja sandals. Her black hair was in a stylish up-do so as to stay out of her face and around her neck she wore a strangely shaped pendant on a cord.

Eizan glanced up at the trees that towered over her four feet, eight inch frame and sighed before glancing at Amane who was a good three inches taller than her. The girl was staring blankly at this so called forest of death, but her eyes were expressionless dark pools. Eizan was worried, since she hadn't seen her like this since the days following Akuro's death.

She was trying to keep Iwane from bothering the other girl when she felt a shudder of terror pass through her. Turning, she saw Mitarashi licking Naruto's cheek clean of blood that ran from a cut, and then a Kusa ninja appear behind her as she extracted a kunai to point at him. A long tongue was seen slipping past his lips and wrapped around another kunai knife. "Your kunai, I believe you dropped it."

The voice might have been familiar but she shook it off and instead turned toward the Anko woman as she thanked him for returning the kunai. Their gazes met as her dark brown eyes narrowed on him, Naruto being freaked out at the man's grotesquely long tongue. "Don't just stand behind me radiating blood lust. Unless you're in a hurry to die," she warned as she took the kunai from him as his tongue slurped back into his mouth.

He smirked. "I'll try to keep it under control, but the sight of fresh, warm blood really makes me crazy," he hissed softly as the fire user frowned. "And I was already revved up from losing a strand of my precious hair." It seemed that when she had flung the kunai and cut Naruto's cheek, she had also cut a strand of the shinobi's long black locks.

As the Kusa ninja turned to walk back toward his two teammates, Eizan saw as his gaze flicked in her direction. Their gazes met and the look in his eyes as he smirked cruelly made her pale before she turned away. It had to be her imagination. "Before we begin the second exam, there's something I have to hand out," Anko spoke up.

The papers in her hand were consent forms which they had to sign since it was likely that some would die during this part of the exam. She started to hand them out as Eizan saw that Iwane was now staring at Amane in worry, being strangely complacent. By now, the earth user would have started to make a crack about how the forest was probably filled with fuzzy bunnies and daises. At the moment, Eizan was hoping that was true since the Itagaki was as good as useless for now. While she might be able to defeat anyone that was taking this exam, with the exception of Gaara, she knew that she'd have to cover Amane's ass if the other failed to come around.

It seemed that their objective for this exam was survival, as well as seek and capture. The two scrolls, one marked with the kanji _'Ten'_ and the other marked with _'Chi'_, were their target. In order to pass the exam, they had to show up at the tower, within the five day time frame, with both scrolls and with all three members of their team alive. It would have been easier a day ago, but now the stakes were a bit higher for Eizan's team with Amane out of commission.

During the five days they had to find food, shelter and fend off any wild animals as well as other teams seeking their scroll. Eizan sighed and waved Iwane to her side as Amane was busy signing her form. "Cover her as much as you can," she ordered, a frown settling over her features once again.

Iwane lifted an eyebrow at her words and folded her arms over her chest, an uncharacteristic action for her. "What about you?" she asked her, glancing at the Uchiha's team and the glances Sasuke was sending Eizan's way. He also saw Lee's team not too far off and saw that the Hyuuga boy was looking at Amane. She would have felt left out but then noticed that the bug boy's gaze was locked on her, and while she shouldn't have been able to tell due to his sunglasses, _she_ could. _'Why do we always draw such attention to ourselves?'_ she wondered as she tried not to sigh since it couldn't be helped.

"Don't worry about me," she hissed before taking in a deep breath and sighing. "I can handle anything in that forest or the other teams." She returned her gaze to their other teammate. "I'm more worried about Amane-kun." She frowned slightly. Gaara hadn't told her much of what the Kazekage was planning for the third part of the exam, but knew that it was very important that they all made it till the end. "Listen, we have to make it to the third part," she muttered quietly, the other giving her a confused look. "Don't ask any questions now, just cover Amane, got it?" When Iwane nodded, she sighed and plopped down on the ground.

"One final piece of advice, stay alive!" the chief examiner said as Iwane and Eizan turned to look at the woman. It was clear that a lot of the Genin had been hanging off her every word as if their lives depended on it, and they did. One of the Konoha Chunin that were helping with the exam, informed them that they were ready to distribute the scrolls, which would be exchanged for three consent forms.

Iwane's hair was in a different style that day. She had pinned it to the back of her head securely so that it wouldn't bother her. While the first part of the exam had been a written one, the second part was sure to be harder. This one could prove to be fatal for several Genin that entered. The earth user noticed that Amane had only bothered to put her hair in the same braid, and Eizan's was too short to tie back with the exception of her bangs being just a bit longer.

She glanced at the curtained building where they were to receive their scrolls and smirked since not only were they not able to see what kind of scroll each team received, but also who was carrying it. They would also choose which gate they would start from out of the forty-four available as soon as they received the scroll. As the teams started to head toward the building, Iwane glanced at Eizan but the girl stayed where she was for the moment.

When Gaara's team moved toward the covered building, Eizan jumped to her feet and stretched her arms over her head and Iwane saw the wince pass her face where others would have missed it. It seemed that she was still suffering from her ribs and knew that it was another thing that would slow them down. The only thing that Iwane was grateful for was that they had five days, and she knew that Eizan's first objective would be to find Gaara. Knowing Eizan, she'd probably give up the scroll if the red head had the opposite one.

When Gaara's team left the building, she moved toward it as Amane and Iwane followed her. When they entered they handed in their consent forms and the ninja sitting at the table handed them a scroll with the kanji symbol _'Ten' _on it. "Gate 42," Eizan responded as she stuffed the scroll under her shirt where it would rest securely between her vest and chain mail shirt. The man nodded and directed them to a proctor that would lead them to the gate.

"All right, everyone follow your proctors to your respective gates," Anko announced as she glanced at her watch. "When the signal sounds in half an hour, the exam will begin!"

Eizan merely shrugged and followed the proctor that led them to their gate and he also glanced at his watch. It was still fairly early and Eizan looked at her own watch and saw that it was seven thirty, so that meant that the exam would start at eight o'clock. Asking the proctor if she could see his watch, he gave her a confused look before he nodded and allowed her to see it. She quickly synchronized hers with his since that meant that it was in time with Anko's watch.

As the seconds would down, the proctor unlocked the gate and then glanced at his watch again. When the second hand marked eight, a shrill signal was heard and he pushed open the gate. "Go!" he told them and Eizan sprinted into the forest, followed closely by Amane and Iwane.-

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1. I know the third part of the exam starts in the afternoon, but I wanted the test to take place in the morning, that way it'll be right after the night Amane had. Trust me, I planned it this way. Also, in case anyone didn't know, Ten means heaven and Chi means earth. That is all.  
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**_End Chapter Twelve_**


	14. Forest of Blood and Delirium

_**Glimpses of Fire  
Author:**__ shattered-words_

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary: **There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** Sorry it took so long to update this next chapter and the one before. I was waiting to get my new laptop for my birthday, and I finally got it! Happy Birthday to me, yay! . As you can tell, it was an eventful week, and I got to see my brother again, which is awesome. Anyway, enough talk. On with the chapter. Enjoy!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Thirteen: Forest of Blood and Delirium**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The three shinobi from Amegakure stood defiantly before the red haired Suna-nin as he glared at them. Any that knew him would have been trembling in fear at having such a look directed at them. It wasn't because he looked especially dangerous, since everyone around exceeded him in sheer size and height. However, one look into his turquoise orbs would send a shiver of terror through the toughest fighters. "Hurry up and die."

Shigure smirked and quickly extracted four umbrellas from his back, two in each hand. "I'm not the one that's going to die!" he yelled as he threw them into the air, bringing his hands to form seals. _'Ninpou, Joro Senbon!'_ As the parasols were in the air above Gaara, they started to pin and then spat out needles that hovered in the air for the moment.

"You're completely surrounded. All one thousand of those needles will swarm in response to my chakra and seek you out." Gaara didn't seem too impressed as he maintained his stance with his arms crossed over his chest and the same expression as the needles descended on him.

'_That was almost too easy,'_ the Ame-nin thought smugly as the cloud of what he took to be dirt surrounded the youth so he was out of sight for several moments. However, he froze as everything started to clear.

"Is that all you've got?" a cold voice cut through the gathering silence. When he was finally able to see he was shocked to see a dome of sand surrounding him. The needles had struck the barrier and not one had penetrated his body. Gaara's face peered at him through an opening, eyes narrowed viciously.

"That's not possible," he said aloud, so great was his shock. "Nothing touched him!" Bringing his hand in a seal before him, he made a few more needles fly at him but again the sand came up on its own to defend against the attack.

Gaara's face was shadowed within the dome and he appeared more sinister than he had before as Shigure shivered. "If you're finished, then it's my turn to respond with a deluge of blood," he muttered and started to gather his chakra.

Meanwhile, three Konoha ninja were watching with abated breath as the one known as Inuzuka Kiba stared in shock. "His chakra, it's immense," he whispered to his companions, Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata. "And that sand has the smell of..."

Shino turned to look at him and his normally stoic features were hardened into a frown. There was sweat dripping down the side of his face since he also sensed the amount of chakra the Sand ninja was exuding. "What smell?"

Kiba clenched his teeth and there were fangs peeking past his lips. The girl also turned to look at him, becoming worried by the look on her friend's face. "It sticks of blood," he finally responded, voice lowered so they wouldn't be heard. They all turned their attention toward the scarlet haired youth once again to watch the interaction of the Sand and Rain ninja.

Shigure growled and shook his head. "No way," he spoke at last after several seconds of stunned silence. "Those needles should be able to pierce even a five-millimeter thickness of tempered steel!"

Kankurou smirked and shook his head at the words. "It's no good," he commented simply. "You're not good enough to touch Gaara." His words were smug and with good reason but the other ninja didn't take his subtle yet obvious warning.

The older shinobi charged forward and grabbed one of his remaining umbrellas. "Shut up!" he yelled as he ran at the red head. As he prepared to attack, he wouldn't see Kankurou shake his head with a sigh, or as Gaara brought his hands together to form a seal.

Gaara thrust one hand forward, fingers curved into a claw. _'Sabaku Kyu!' _The very dirt on the ground seemed to spring up and catch hold of the man's feet, impeding his movements. It started to wrap around him until his whole body was engulfed with the exception of his face. Gaara let his hands drop back to his sides as he stared at the man with eyes devoid of compassion.

Shigure struggled against the sand but there was barely any room to even shift his body around. He was sure that if he remained in here, the air would be compressed from his lungs, and it was already getting difficult to breathe. "I c-can't move!" he muttered, not able to see the shocked look of his teammates. The umbrellas he had sent into the air for his first attack fell harmlessly to the ground before him.

The kunoichi finally spoke up, a slight smirk curving her lips. "As you can see, Gaara has total mastery over the sand on the ground and in the air as well." When he declared that he could free himself easily, the look on her face told him that she highly doubted he could. She was right. The sand was pressing his limbs down firmly.

Gaara moved forward a few steps. "If you don't shut up I'll seal your lips and cut off your air," he spoke, his voice a chilling whisper that he could still hear even over his rapid breathing. "But you're hardly worth the effort." He popped open one of the umbrellas and held it over his head as he lifted his free hand toward him. Shigure felt himself being lifted higher as he started to panic, eyes wide with fear. He met the red head's gaze and knew only terror just as he closed his hand into a fist.

'_Sabaku Soso!'_

The sand contracted rapidly around him, crushing him completely so his blood splattered in every direction, and the Konoha Genin watched in horror as it came to rain down on Gaara. He didn't seem too bothered by this, the umbrella shielding his clothes and body from being dirtied by the crimson liquid as the other two Ame shinobi shrieked in fright.

"It's quick and painless. I used far more force than was necessary to ensure that," he spoke. The words weren't meant to comfort as was obvious by his bone chilling tone. "Bitter crimson tears flow from lifeless eyes and mingle with the endless sands, bestowing ever-greater power upon the demon god." His eyes flicked toward the other two as they shuddered before the frightening youth.

The rain ninja, the short of the three who was known as Baiu, crouched down and placed the Heaven scroll he held on the ground. "Here...take the scroll," he said, voice shaking considerably. "Please, just let us go!"

However, the sand shinobi merely threw the umbrella aside and brought up both his arms. The other two men screamed in terror as the sand came up to imprison them, their wide eyes brimming with tears as the kunoichi smiled and waved at them. "Bye-bye!" she said as if bidding them a fond farewell. Gaara wasted no time and closed his hands as they were also crushed to death and their blood splattering the ground.

Kiba and his team had watched all this in horrified silence, but now they started to move away as panic settled in when they realized just how dangerous this Suna ninja was. "Let's get out of here while we still can!" Kiba gasped, the puppy whining from inside his coat. "If they spot us, we're as good as dead." Even Shino, who was usually so cool-headed, was completely terrified as he quickly backed away.

"Lucky us," Kankurou commented with a smirk as he picked up the scroll from the ground. "We needed the Heaven scroll." He tucked it away before turning toward his two siblings. "Now we can head straight for the tower."

His younger brother's voice made his freeze as he heard the dangerous tone. "Not yet," he hissed. Kankurou turned to look at him and the older ninja saw his bloodshot eyes, and it was a sure sign that he was becoming crazed by the scent of blood. "No, I still haven't been sated." The taller boy flinched and started to perspire more nervously. He suddenly wished that Eizan was there, since the girl always seemed to calm the boy down. He'd never say this out loud and risk Gaara's anger, but he sure wished the shorter boy hadn't agreed to Otogakure's conditions.

Meanwhile, the three hiding in the bushes had become deadly still upon hearing his words, and they shivered and wondered if Gaara had sensed their presence. "Crap, does he know we're here?" Kiba whispered fiercely and clenched his teeth so they wouldn't chatter with the fear gripping his body as the dog continued to softly whine his warning.

Kankurou could he heard trying to convince the shorter shinobi to leave for the tower, and anyone listening would be able to tell that he was afraid as well.

"Are you frightened, coward?" Gaara asked as his eyes narrowed dangerously. He noticed that his older brother didn't back down this time and it could very well be his downfall.

The puppet master gathered his courage and insisted. "We only need one set of scrolls Gaara." His hands were held before himself as if to show that he didn't have any weapon. It was a reflective thing since he had always been scared of the red head. When they had been younger, he had always wanted to approach so he could know his brother better, but his father had forbidden it. Then, something had happened and the younger boy had turned cold instead of sad and lonely. It had been a few years before he realized that his own father had sent assassins after his brother.

"Fool, I don't take orders from you," Gaara said with a frown. He lifted his arm up, curling the fingers for the technique again as the other flinched. It was both satisfying and disturbing to know that Temari and Kankurou were scared of him. During the time of his naivety, he had wished that his older siblings would look in his direction and offer a smile or a gesture of reassurance, but it had never come. They had been distant people, his brother and sister both, and now the riff between them was too wide to ever repair.

Kankurou surprised himself when he stepped forward again and grabbed Gaara by the white sash. "That's enough," he exclaimed even as his voice shook. "For once Gaara, listen to what your big brother tells you!" It took all he had to tell him that, meeting his gaze over the small distance between them.

"I've never thought of either of you as my siblings," he said with a soft growl, swatting his hand away. "Cross me and I _will_ kill you."

Temari also stepped forward to try and stop him. "Don't you see me as a sister?" she asked. He said nothing as his features hardened into a scowl, and lifted his hand toward the bushes where the three Konoha Genin were hiding. The sand started to move in the direction he indicated.

The three hidden ninja tensed in shock, eyes going wide as they felt the sand starting to surround them, knowing that it was too late to run. Kiba could hear his small dog start to increase his lament as if he knew that they were doomed already.

"Gaara!" Temari cried out.

Suddenly, the scarlet haired ninja stopped and his gaze shifted to the side before he lowered his hand. The sand ceased its movement and for a second it seemed that Temari and Kankurou had gotten through to him.

A figure darted from the surrounding trees and appeared besides Gaara, kneeling on one knee. "Eizan," the boy muttered and looked down at her. Only the two siblings would see the hard look in his eyes soften when it came to land on the girl.

"Gaara-dono," she replied and motioned toward the two figures that were emerging from the bushes where his attention had just been directed. Amane had her hands stuffed into her pockets and was looking off into the distance as she stood beside her other teammate. Iwane had her arms folded behind her head as she grinned in his direction.

"We have yet to attain a second scroll but are about to do so." It was clear that her first objective had been to find him and ensure that he got his before anything else. Eizan glanced toward the other two and saw as Kankurou lifted up both scrolls for her to see. She nodded and then turned back toward the red head, awaiting her orders.

Kiba and his teammates were practically hyperventilating as they peered up at the two figures that stood before them. They weren't looking down and it almost seemed like they couldn't see them at all. The Inuzuka rubbed the dog's head to quiet him down or the dangerous youth might return his attention toward them. It seemed that for the moment they were saved, but confused as to why these two shinobi weren't revealing their location.

After a moment, Gaara nodded and lifted his hand. He caught the cork out of the air which had been carried by his sand and he placed it over the opening of the gourd. "Very well then," he finally spoke before turning away. "Secure your other scroll and meet me at the tower."

Gaara started to walk away but he hesitated and twisted slightly around to look at her, opening his mouth to speak. Then he closed it and turned away once again, walking off without another word. Temari and Kankurou nodded in her direction before hurrying after their sibling.

Eizan watched him until he was out of sight and let a smile cross her lips that was gone when she stood and turned to face her teammates. "Let's go," she said simply and went in the direction she had appeared from. She didn't give any indication that she even saw the three Genin that were still sitting in front of her two teammates.

Amane followed without a word, but Iwane finally glanced at them before crouching down, arms resting against her bent knees. "A word of advice, steer clear of Gaara-san and Eizan-sama." A grin adorned her face that wasn't reassuring in the least. "It's for your own good, trust me." Her eyes flicked to Hinata and she winked at her, making the other girl blush horribly. She straightened with a laugh before hurrying after the other two. "Damn it, wait for me!" she whined, and when her voice had faded, the three almost collapsed backwards.

Kiba shuddered as he tried to slow his heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat, not quite understanding what had just happened. However, one thing was certain, and that was that this Eizan person had saved their asses, but they didn't know why. "No wonder Akamaru was so upset," he gasped as the dog gave a whine as if in agreement. "You were trying to warn us, huh boy?"

Shino turned his attention toward his teammates, mouth parted as he panted, clearly shaken from the experience. "W-what do you mean?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.

Turning to look at the bug user, Kiba frowned. "Akamaru was trying to tell us that the big guy was _in danger_...not _dangerous_! He meant that the kid from Suna was going to kill him," he responded. He shuddered slightly as he gulped. He leaned against his arms as he threw his head back so the hood came off to reveal his short, wild brown hair.

Shino nodded as he turned to look in the direction that Gaara had gone off in. "Hai, that ninja from Sunagakure is deadly." Then he glanced the way the other three Suna shinobi had gone off in. "I wonder why they helped us?" He looked at Kiba and knew he was wondering the same thing, and so was Hinata, who was still as red as a tomato.

Shino frowned as he remembered the Sand-nin's warning to stay away from Gaara and Eizan both. He had been there when Sasuke had asked Kabuto about the two ninja from Suna, and knew that the Ashikaga Eizan in his information was dead.

'_Then who is this other shinobi with the same name and face?'_ he wondered, but no answer came to him. For now, all they could do was move toward the tower with their two scrolls and heed the advice to stay as far away as possible from the dangerous Sabaku no Gaara.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan quickly stopped on a tree branch and her older teammate did the same, and another figure was seen draped over Iwane's shoulders. "Damn it all to hell," she hissed and moved forward to help her friend lower the taller girl onto the branch.

"I...should have been watching her more carefully," the Erizawa stuttered. Her emerald eyes, which were usually light and carefree, were dark with worry and fear.

The Ashikaga frowned and shook her head. "We both should have," she muttered. She reached out and pushed back her shirt and she sealed her lips around her flesh were two wide puncture holes were visible as she sucked hard. A grimace crossed her face before she pulled back and turned her head and spat the poison out.

"Is she going to be okay?" she asked, her voice trembling. It was disturbing to see the jovial girl so subdued and afraid for her friend. Eizan couldn't blame her. Amane was Iwane's most important person in the world.

"Of course," she snapped, and then breathed in to calm herself when the other flinched. "The snake knocked her out, so she hasn't made any movements. That means the venom hasn't spread to her heart yet." She opened Amane's mouth and forced a pill down her throat. "It will help counter most of the effects of the poison, so she'll be up and about by nightfall."

Iwane nodded and helped Eizan move their teammate to a more comfortable position as they stationed themselves around her. If they were attacked now, the outcome wouldn't be favorable for them.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Haku glanced at his two teammates as they continued on a steady pace through the forest. They had started from gate 33 and had the Earth scroll in their possession. It might be a bit tricky but not too much of a problem to secure one from the weaker teams, and there were sure to be many of those.

Sanako had been trained by her medic-nin mother since she'd started in the Academy and Anzai was an expert in weapon handling and taijutsu, since his father was part of Anbu and had taught him a lot. Haku had a general understanding of the human body and surpassed the other boy in hand to hand, but not when it came to the various uses with weapons. That's where the Hideaki boy excelled, especially when it was combined with chakra.

"What do you suggest we do?" Sanako asked the older boy. Take was from outside their village and had lived in a wooded area with his parents most of his life. He seemed like the best one equipped to survive in the woods.

Anzai snorted and landed on a tree branch. "Why the hell are you asking him for?" he demanded of his sister. He crossed his arms over his chest and blew a few strands of hair out of his face. "He doesn't know anymore than we do about this place."

"Urusei, Zai-kun," she snapped at him. The boy gave a pout and went silent. "I know that you lived in the woods with your parents Take-kun, but these are a bit different, of course. Do you have any suggestions about what route we should take?"

Haku glanced between the Hideaki twins and almost sighed. Anzai would sulk after being scolded by his sister and the girl would later become annoyed because he'd ignore her. It would be a miracle if they made it out of the Forest of Death without one of them losing a limb, or at least without Haku losing his sanity.

"I suggest we move," he said and they all jumped away in time to avoid an attack. They'd just encountered their first Genin team, and it looked like a team from Amegakure.

"Leave them to me," Anzai announced with a grin as he unleashed a barrage of shuriken in their direction. The rain-nin dodged them and smirked. The Hideaki laughed. "Don't get too cocky." They turned around in time to see the projectiles make a U-turn and come at them again.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was nearing night fall when the Kusa-nin encountered Naruto's Genin team. The younger ninjas were swept away by a strong wind jutsu and were separated from one another. Luckily, Sasuke had them remember a password before it happened.

The three ninja from village hidden in grass had watched this happen and then as they recovered. The blonde had gotten blown away the farthest and would remain occupied with a little surprise. The other two looked to the long haired shinobi for instructions.

"I'm going in alone," he told them, already forming hand seals. "Find the girl and capture her. Dispose of the others." He was gone and the other two darted off in search of the kunoichi from Sunagakure.

Meanwhile, the other had transformed himself into Naruto using henge, and he approached the other two as he smirked inwardly. He almost licked his lips when he thought about what he might gain from this wonderful Chunin Exam.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The two shinobi from grass didn't have to search long to find their target, the team of kunoichi from the land of sand. The bald one grinned behind his macabre mask that looked to have been drilled into his skull. The bamboo hat, that hung from his neck and rested at his back, had the Kusa sign on the front and a tag that read _'Punishment'_ hanging from the side of it.

His teammate wore the same type of bamboo hat on his head with the sign for grass, but his tag read _'Crime'_, and he also had more hair than his companion.

"That's them," spoke the masked one, whom was called Ryouji. His teammate, called Kinuo, nodded and they were off.

Ryouji wore long sleeved chain mail underneath a short sleeved shirt that ended at his knees, pants of the same color, and a large rope tied around his waist. He also donned black fingerless gloves so that his claw-like nails were revealed. Kinuo might have been wearing the same thing but he had a tattered cloak that covered most of his body, and the rope hung around his neck.

The masked Kusa-nin formed seals for a Genjutsu as they started to move in. They could tell that one their team was incapacitated. It would be easier than they had first thought.

The information they had on the Suna team was limited, so they had no idea at what level Eizan, Iwane and Amane were at. All they knew was that their leader wanted the short kunoichi.

They didn't question Orochimaru since it wasn't the wisest choice you'd make, but it would definitely be your last. Also, they would make sure to _successfully_ complete this mission because failure was worse than questioning the snake's authority.

Kinuo and Ryouji glanced at one another momentarily to assure themselves that the girls hadn't noticed. Eizan and Iwane were too busy looking after Amane, whose fever had escalated. If they were lucky, she might die and then they'd only have to worry about two of them.

When they moved to attack, they separated and moved in on them. Ryouji cut down the taller kunoichi and Kinuo went for Eizan. They were shocked as Iwane and Amane's bodies disappeared and the figure of the short haired girl latched onto Kinuo. A scream left his lips when the clone burst into flame and he was consumed by the fire.

A few feet away, Iwane set Amane's feverish body down and glanced around the truck of the tree. They had been alerted that someone was approaching and since Amane was still suffering from the fever so Eizan had ordered her to take the Itagaki as she distracted the intruder. "Kuso," she cursed quietly as she glanced down at her teammate.

Iwane gasped as she heard the warning too late and turned to defend against a barrage of several kunai. However, a figure appeared immediately in front of them and deflected the projectiles as they grunted in pain.

"Get her out of here," Eizan hissed. Iwane swore she heard a hint of pain underlying her tone, but she didn't have Amane's ears and she hesitated. "GO!" Iwane clenched her teeth, but quickly grabbed Amane and flung her over her shoulder as she hopped off.

Ryouji had been momentarily distracted by his teammate's cries of pain as his skin peeled off in black chunks. Death had claimed his body as the masked ninja heard a soft, cruel chuckle that almost made him shudder, and brought his attention to the trees.

The short kunoichi stood on a branch above him, her arms at her sides. There didn't seem to be any sign of the other two, but he quickly spotted them several branches away. A grin spread over his face when he noticed that the taller of the two was still out cold and the other was distracted. He withdrew several kunai and flung them in their direction.

Eizan shouted out a warning and moved to intercept, pulling out her own kunai and quickly blocking them. However, she had held back an exclamation of pain as one sank into her abdomen. It had gone right through her wire mesh shirt, and the vest had been too high to stop it.

Her hand clutched around the weapon as she ordered Iwane to get Amane out of here. _'It's just a scratch,'_ she assured herself and turned to face the grinning grass shinobi as the other two escaped.

"Don't celebrate just yet," she said let a strained smirk spread over her face. She bit into her thumb and smeared the blood across her left palm, and quickly formed hand seals. Eizan saw as he started to form his own technique and she recognized his as a water style jutsu.

'_Katon, Chi-no-Ike Jigoku no Jutsu!'_ The blood on her hands glowed white before she brought them to cup around her mouth. She breathed in deeply and exhaled fire toward the man as the blood faded from her palms.

'_Suiton,-' _His attack was interrupted as hers shot toward his. He was confused, however, when the fire surrounded him in a circle instead of hitting him head on. Then it blazed black before returning to its normal color.

Ryouji looked on in awe and he dropped his hands as he was distracted when her Katon jutsu didn't hit him. He briefly wondered if she had missed him and a grin spread over his face. His eyes flicked toward her but his amusement was short lived as his eyes fell on the girl as she quickly formed seals and ended on the tiger seal.

The fire started to fade as he gasped, and felt agony coursing through his body. His eyes had gone wide with terror as the pain intensified and he found himself falling to his knees. He was clawing at his skin as he started to screech at the top of his lungs. The very blood in his veins felt like it was burning, and he continued to scream as his sharpened nails tore at his flesh. His shrieks of pain drowned out the foot steps as the girl approached.

Eizan looked at the man as he continued to claw at his arms and the rest of his body. He was tearing out chucks of his flesh without realizing as his blood spilled around him. The technique was designed so the fire would fade away around him, but rekindle on his very blood and burn him from within.

There was no emotion on her face as she watched, since she didn't get any pleasure from this. A frown twisted her features as she flicked out a kunai from her holster and thrust forward. The sharpened edge pierced his jugular cleanly and easily, and a moment later his corpse hit the ground.

It didn't take long for a pool of blood to surround his body, and she grimaced and turned away. The eyes of his corpse were still staring up at her with the look of horror frozen on his features. She pulled out the kunai that had embedded into her side with a gasp of pain and threw it over her shoulder so it landed on the ground besides the man's still figure.

Eizan lifted her shirt to inspect the wound and saw that it had only gone two inches past the skin, so she'd live. A chuckle left her lips at that thought before she hopped off, never once looking back at the gory scene behind her.

When she came upon her two teammates, she did a good job of concealing her wound and pain, especially from Iwane since her sharp eyes were sure to detect any signs of it. Now, her attention turned to the two of them. Amane had regained consciousness but Eizan could tell that she was still a bit feverish.

Iwane sighed in relief when the wind user's eyes finally opened. She turned in time to see Eizan arrive but frowned. Something was wrong, but the other didn't give her time to ask.

"Let's keep moving," Eizan muttered gruffly when she noticed the earth user looking closely at her. She hopped away and Iwane helped Amane along. The Erizawa frowned after her short friend but dismissed her suspicions as they continued on. She had to watch over Amane since the other was defenseless for the moment.

Another hour had passed before Amane could move along by herself and now she came to a stop on a tree branch and Iwane and Eizan landed besides her. She tilted her head to the side as if she heard something. The Ashikaga hadn't spoken since she'd awoken and so she knew that this was the best they were going to get. She lifted her gaze so it landed on Iwane who was already performing hand seals.

'_Ninpou, Shihohappo no Jutsu!' _Her chakra was concentrated into her pupils and they contracted so they were cat-like. She stepped off the branch, but instead of falling her feet stuck to the side of it. "It's the Uchiha and the pink haired kunoichi." A grin spread over her features. "Seems they've become the prey of a Kusa-nin."

Eizan came to land upright besides her, being crouched on the same branch. "What about their blonde teammate?" she asked her. Her eyes were narrowed in the direction that the earth user was looking in, but she couldn't see across such a long distance as her.

Iwane shook her head, her hands still held in a seal before her. "There's no sign of him." Her eyes continued to watch. "He has them paralyzed. What do you want to do?" she asked her, blowing a strand of her bangs out of her eyes. "He's most likely the third teammate of the two that attacked us."

The tallest among them turned in their direction and seemed to be coming around a bit as she hopped over. Landing on the side of a nearby tree, she used chakra to help her defy gravity. While she didn't speak, she turned to see what Eizan's next move would be.

The short girl smirked and nodded. "Learning about the Uchiha's skill level is my objective." She glanced at Amane and frowned as she saw her feverish eyes. "I need you to snap out of it before one of us gets killed," she said as she reached into her shirt. Eizan took the scroll and tossed it at her. "Take the scroll and meet me five kilometers from the tower. Iwane-kun, how far are they?"

Amane frowned as she caught the scroll and knew that she spoke the truth. She realized suddenly that because she hadn't been paying attention, the snake had bitten her. It had been a long time since she'd been this useless. Not since their first _'training session'_ with Enoki-sensei. It bothered her and yet her heart still ached because Akuro had been the first person she had actually loved. The one that had helped her learn to care about her two teammates.

During their childhood, she had pushed Iwane away even when she had tried to befriend her. While the other girl liked to look back at those times with a fond smile, she knew that there was almost nothing sweet about it, or that gave reason to smile. It was especially true when they had been ten.

The Erizawa had changed drastically and had started to avoid Amane when before she'd go out of her way to look for her. It had gotten to a point that they hated one another. When they'd been paired with Eizan it had been for the shorter girls benefit that they'd tolerated each other. It was Akuro that had shown her why the other had changed so much.

Amane was brought back to the present and opened her mouth to protest but Eizan shook her head and bounded off. She glanced at Iwane as the kunoichi released the jutsu and grinned at her. The Itagaki nodded at her and stuffed the scroll into her shirt. She felt a pang of pain grip her chest but forced herself to set it aside for now. They had their orders, and they'd never defied Eizan before.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Neji had twenty minutes until he had to return to the assigned place but it seemed that he wouldn't find anything too interesting. He shook his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets and prepared to move on. His hands quickly formed seals as he stopped and glanced to the left. _'Byakugan!'_ The veins pulsed at the sides of his head and the pupils were suddenly visible in his eyes which could now penetrate through any surface he wished.

His sight cut through the very trees and came to stop upon a group of two Suna ninja and he almost grinned when he saw that it was the kunoichi he had met in the woods. Neji started to move in their direction and wondered where their third teammate had gone. He hadn't interacted with him since it had only been the two of them before as well. When they'd taken the first part of the exam, the third teammate had been there. It was that shorter boy that had moved faster than even him.

Neji should have been more interested in him but there was something about the tall kunoichi that drew him in. Besides, he still wanted to see how good of a fighter she was. Not to mention returning something that belonged to her.

The Hyuuga teenager wasn't too sure if the other was female or not, and he had no desire to find out and land himself in another embarrassing situation. The first time his eyes had penetrated a bit too much, and his face had burn so quickly and so red he knew that he'd resembled a tomato. Neji was sure he would have died of mortification if anyone had seen him then. Lucky for him, he hadn't been accompanied by anyone at the time.

So, when he used his eyes to penetrate their clothing to see who had the scroll, he made sure not to go too far. Checking the kunoichi he met first, he almost sighed in relief when he saw that she had the scroll. It was tucked between her sleeveless shirt and wire mesh one. He was glad that it wasn't see-through. After all, he may be a shinobi but he wasn't crude or a pervert.

He used his speed to cut them off and while he had told the others to return no matter what, he couldn't pass up this opportunity to see what this trinket was worth. Besides, it would be fun to toy with them a bit since he hadn't been able to meet anyone strong enough to match him.

Amane may have been out of it most of the day, but now her ears twitched. She glanced at Iwane who motioned to the right, and she turned back around. Coming to a stop on the next branch as the other did the same, they were ready for anything. After a moment, a boy appeared before them and she saw that it was the Hyuuga that had been sitting next to her during the first part of the exam. _'What could he want?'_ she vaguely wondered.

"Konbanwa," he commented as if it was any normal evening as the emerald eyed ninja glared in his direction. He saw Iwane's hand go immediately to her holster as he held up a hand. "I have no business with you, yet." His eyes settled over the wind user as Amane blinked, clearly confused and he frowned. There was something strange with her that day and he wondered what it was. He'd seen a more defiant look in her eyes last night.

Amane tilted her head to the side, eyes shifting upward since he was not only taller, but also on a higher branch. She wondered what he could possibly want with her, almost like she had forgotten his words the other day, and she had. All thoughts of anything else had left her the second she had lost her precious possession. "What is it?" she asked him finally, his penetrating gaze seeming to pierce into her very soul.

He slipped a hand into his pocket and extracted something, letting it hang before him. "Missing something?" he asked as he tilted his head with a smirk. There, hanging from his fingers was a cord and attached to it was a shell. While most of the time a person could be seen carrying a single shell, this one was complete, both sides placed together in a perfect fit. He saw her eyes widen and Iwane exclaimed vehemently as he smirked once again. However, he almost faltered as he saw an expression of pain cloud her ebony orbs. "How about a trade?"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sasuke gasped slightly when he pulled the kunai from his right leg, and he could feel his whole body trembling as the blood from the self-inflicted wound ran and stained the leg of his shorts. He was resting his almost five feet frame against the truck of a gigantic tree and he was trying to figure out what to do.

They had gotten attacked almost immediately by an Ame ninja but Naruto and him had managed to defend against the other and had injured his shoulder before he'd gotten away. Sasuke had decided that it would be best for them to move on since the two teammates could be nearby.

When they had settled down Sasuke had designed a password for them. The Kusa-nin had used a wind jutsu that had separated them and then had tried to impersonate Naruto, but he'd easily seen through the henge.

The enemy had revealed himself as the grass ninja that had interacted with the chief examiner, Anko. He had taken out his scroll and then proceeded to swallow it before paralyzing them. The illusion he had used had been to show them their deaths and Sasuke had found himself emptying him stomach in revulsion. If he hadn't stabbed himself with his kunai, they would have been killed. Now here they were and he had no idea where Naruto was.

Sakura tried to ask him what was wrong and he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth as he growled. Sometimes she was too damn loud for his tastes. He shifted his eyes to the right as he turned his head in the same direction, and listened and waited. He had to think of what his next move would be against this terrifying enemy.

When Sakura started to try and speak again, he tightened his hold on her jaw until it was almost painful. Seconds later, she tore his hand away. "Sasuke-kun, snake!" she cried out as she jumped back and away. He cursed and did the same, not believing he had been so riled by the Kusa shinobi that he had missed something so big.

The serpent was a good ten meters long and its scales were sickly gray, and Sasuke saw its piercing yellow eyes come to land on him. He flinched as it came after him, so he almost let out a frightened cry. "Get away from me!" he yelled, flinging various shuriken in its direction. They struck the snake, and it hissed and collapsed on a wide branch. However, as it stilled, the carcass twitched and he watched in horror as something started to break through the side of its head from the inside.

Sasuke landed on a branch far enough away and couldn't tear his gaze away as the Kusa shinobi broke out of the snake's body. His tongue hung from his mouth and his body was covered in the dead snake's fluids before it disappeared. "Good prey should stay alert when a predator is near," he hissed. His lips turned up in a smirk as his tongue flicked back into his mouth.

He lunged at Sasuke as his body stretched around the tree so it looked like he was slithering along the branch like a serpent. The Uchiha prodigy was frozen in place and could do nothing but stare in fear at the oncoming man. However, the older ninja was deterred from his objective by many shuriken impaling the bark of the tree before him so he was forced to stop. He turned his gaze toward the direction they had come from, and saw a familiar blonde with a smirk adorning his features.

"Sorry Sasuke-teme, but I can't remember that stupid password," he said as Sakura congratulated him on his nick of time appearance. His clothes and hair were covered in a slimy substance and it appeared like he'd had to wipe the same thing from his hitai-ate.

Sasuke frowned. "You must be psyched to be saving the day, but now would be a good time to run for your life," he yelled at him. "This guy is way out of our league!" He saw Naruto give him a confused look. _'As always, he's as smart as a rock'_, he growled to himself, thinking of all the times that he had made a situation worse. Sure he'd improved because of Haku, but he was still the same dobe.

The older man chuckled quietly. "My compliments on your stunning defeat of the giant snake, Naruto," he hissed. Even more, Naruto was reminded of a snake when he looked upon the man. He wanted to shudder but refused to do so.

"Was it supposed to be difficult?" Naruto asked him, and he saw the other frowned as he smirked. It hadn't been too difficult to defeat it, but he had been swallowed. Then he'd used Kage Bunshin to blow the snake into sushi-sized pieces.

Sasuke didn't know what to do but had to do something before he got them all killed. He wondered not for the first time when he had actually started to care enough about these two that he wanted to prevent their deaths. However, he knew that it was better than it had been before. Sakura's sharp mind had come in handy now that she'd started using it instead of trying to flirt with him, and Naruto had become a more reliable teammate.

He frowned and used his chakra to activate his Sharingan since he couldn't think of anything else, but then he hesitated and let his eyes return to normal. _'What am I thinking, there's no way I can beat this guy!'_ He reached into his shirt and pulled out their Heaven scroll. "Here, if it's our scroll you're after then come and get it! Just take it and go!"

Naruto and Sakura were both stunned by his words but it was the blonde that expressed it. "Sasuke! What the _**hell**_ do you think you're doing, you bastard?" he yelled as he pointed at him accusingly. "Is this some clever way of beating the enemy, by handing over everything we've got?" He had never seen the raven haired boy acting like this, and he felt his faith in the other depleting.

Their enemy merely chuckled in amusement. "Well done," he almost purred. "You're obviously natural-born prey, instinctively knowing that your only hope lies in the chance of the predator being distracted by even tastier bait."

Eizan had come in time to watch the blonde make his loud appearance and had smirked. She was also stunned by Sasuke's words and had watched as Naruto had recovered the thrown scroll and then decked the Uchiha. It had been so amusing that she'd almost laughed and given away her presence.

The Ashikaga paused for a moment as she finished reviewing the information she'd gotten from the Kusa-nin she'd killed. _'Orochimaru,'_ she mused quietly to herself and froze when she cross referenced other information she had on that name. _'The legendary Sannin of Konoha?'_

Her blood-rimmed eyes narrowed on the man. From the information she realized that he was after both her and Sasuke, but she didn't know why. The others hadn't known either so she was left in the dark. _'Why is he after us?'_ she wondered.

"It's me, you idiot," Sasuke yelled at Naruto. The frown on his face wavered slightly to confusion, but now it turned into annoyance as his gaze settled over the other boy in his team. At times, he had that effect on him so he forgot everything else, even the fear.

"That's bull," Naruto denied Sasuke's claim. "And you're the idiot, and you're not Sasuke. Because you're a coward and he's not!" His teeth were clenched in anger, eyes burning fiercely. "I'm not sure we should be afraid of this guy, and even if we did hand over our scroll, there's no guarantee he'd spare us!" He wiped a hand against his still filthy cheek. "So, even if you were really Sasuke, I'd still be telling you you're an idiot!"

Orochimaru just smirked. "Oh, Naruto, this is so rich," he began as his tongue flicked out to run across his lips. "And you're right." Sasuke was stunned and it only increased his bemusement as he pushed up his left sleeve to reveal a strange tattoo marring his flesh. "Why bargain when I can simply kill you and take the scroll?" He bit his thumb and then ran the bloody digit down the length of the marking.

Naruto growled and charged at him. "Shut up!" he yelled. He didn't hear as Sasuke yelled at him to stop, only blinded by his fury that Sasuke would actually give up the scroll. He was angry that the Kusa shinobi would be willing to kill them just to take their scroll, so he jumped toward them as he withdrew a kunai.

Orochimaru brought his hands into a seal, eyes narrowing on the child that was rushing at him and he couldn't help but smirk. _'Kuchiyose no Jutsu!'_ The very air around him started to pick up, and he was lifted up as a giant snake appeared beneath him.

The blonde ninja was shocked as the serpent manifested seemingly out of nowhere and was slow to react as its tail lashed out and knocked him up. He could barely hear Sasuke and the kunoichi when they screamed his name as his body crashed through various branches before it met a solid surface. The impact caused him to cry out in pain, blood filling his mouth before it spilled and splattered his face and the front of his clothes.

"Excellent, but let's not take any chances," Orochimaru cooed as a smile crossed his face when Naruto's body started to fall. "Eat the boy."

The blonde's eyes narrowed on the snake and its summoner, seeing as the reptile's tongue flicked out to swallow him. Well, he'd be damned if he allowed another snake to eat him as the other had. Something inside him burned, bubbling up along his arms so that he could feel an enormous chakra fill him. With a yell, he twisted to avoid the tongue and then came down to nail the snake against its snout with a punch. "Like hell I'll let you eat me!" he screamed as he turned in mid air to meet Orochimaru's slightly stunned gaze.

He wouldn't notice that his eyes had shifted to crimson or that the irises had contracted so they were cat like. However, the kunoichi that was observing was surprised at the immense chakra that seemed to overtake his frame. His strength had grown immensely as he struck the snake so it was driven downwards. She wouldn't be close enough to see his eyes, but she had to admit that the chakra she sensed was filled with so much malevolent intent that she almost shuddered.

Orochimaru brought his left hand before him, filled his lungs with air and chakra, and released it to create a large gust of wind to send the boy flying. He was rather impressed, wondering if he was who he thought he was. _'Look at those eyes,'_ he mused to himself as the technique dissipated. A smirk would again spread over his face as he almost giggled with anticipation. _'And the fun has just begun!'_

The snake turned to face the other male shinobi. "And now its Sasuke's turn, how will he fare?" It lunged at the raven haired boy that was still frozen in fear, unable to move. However, Orochimaru was jarred as the snake slammed into something solid and he looked down as he raised an eyebrow. Naruto stood there, holding back the snake, and he had two kunai in his hands and they were plunged into its massive maw.

Sasuke stared in stunned disbelief at his blonde teammate, seeing as his shorter body heaved with his breathing. His head was lowered as he spoke up. "Hey, are you alright," he began, lifting his head so that Sasuke was met with those crimson orbs, "you scaredy-cat?" There was blood running from his mouth and his nose, and the words were the exact same ones he had uttered to him during their mission to the country of waves. Sasuke had saved Naruto from an attack by two Chunin from Kirigakure no Sato when he had hesitated out of fear.

The words he had spoken earlier flashed in his mind now, and how he was a coward for not fighting against this enemy. _'When did Naruto get this strong?'_ he wondered, seeing the eyes that seemed to burn with a strange and terrifying fire. Before he could speak, the man's tongue came to be wrapped around the light haired boy's body and was being lifted up as he protested. Sasuke could only watch as he was brought before Orochimaru.

He chuckled as he brought Naruto in front of him, forming a seal with both his hands. "The Kyuubi brat is still alive and kicking. How fascinating that when he is consumed by rage he loses himself, and a bit of the demon trapped within comes through. An Amazing development," he spoke and his five fingers glowed.

Eizan had been listening and she was just close enough to hear the man's words and frowned when he referred to Naruto as _'Kyuubi brat'_. That was the demon of legend that was said to have attacked Konoha almost twelve years ago, according to the history she had on this village. Many leaf ninja had lost their lives to the demon before the Yondaime Hokage subdued it. Not much was known as to how he was able to stop it, but only that he had lost his life in the attempt.

'_Does this boy have the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed inside? Is he a Jinchuriki like Gaara?'_ she wondered, narrowing her eyes at the man's final words, which confirmed her suspicions. She knew this would be vital information for Gaara, but wondered if she should report it since it was pure speculation on her part, and the man could very well be lying. Eizan arched a brow upon seeing the man's fingers glow. _'Gogyo Fuin?'_ she wondered since she had seen Chiyo use a similar sealing technique before.

Orochimaru's tongue moved to lift Naruto's shirt and red markings were revealed around his belly button. "There's the proof. The seal that keeps the monster trapped within appears on your skin like a tattoo." The man jammed his fingers against the seal as Naruto cried out in pain.

Now Eizan was sure of it, knowing that when Shukaku's chakra spilled forth and it threatened to consume Gaara, the seal appeared on his skin as well. She winced as the blonde screamed and frowned.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto needs you!" Sakura yelled, but it seemed that the boy was still unable to move, as the pink haired kunoichi stared in disbelief. Orochimaru slipped a hand into Naruto's pouch and extracted the Heaven scroll. Then he promptly threw Naruto aside.

The pink haired kunoichi reacted, throwing a kunai to try and stop his descent, and she gasped as the man's tongue shot out and blocked it. The two remaining members of Team Seven could only watch as the blonde fell and disappeared in the gathering darkness.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
1. Ninpou, Joro Senbon: **_lit._ "Sprinkling Needles"  
**2. Sabaku Kyu: **_lit._ "The Coffin of Crushing Sand"  
**3. Sabaku Soso: **_lit._ "Imploding Sand Funeral"  
**4. Urusei: **shut up  
**5. Katon, Chi-no-Ike Jigoku no Jutsu:** _lit. "_Fire Release: Blood Pond Hell Technique" (I know, it sounds so much cooler in Japanese, lol)  
**6. Suiton: **_lit._Water style; Water Release.  
**7. Ninpou, Shihohappo no Jutsu: **_lit._ "Technique of all Directions". This allows user to see great distances in all directions. It can only be learned by some members of the Erizawa household. However, since Itagaki and Erizawa are closely linked by the Morisue bloodline then a member of the Itagaki line could perform it. When Iwane is more skilled she'll be able to see past certain solid objects (but not like the Byakugan that sees through all objects).  
**8. Konbanwa: **good evening  
**9. -teme: **Naruto at times refers to Sasuke by this, to the best of my knowledge, it means bastard.  
**10. Sannin:** the three legendary ninjas; Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Tsunade. They were from the same Genin cell and trained under the Sandaime Hokage.  
**11. Kuchiyose no Jutsu: **_lit._ "Summoning Technique"  
**12. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu:** _lit._ "Art of the Shadow Replication"  
**13. Kirigakure no Sato: **_lit._ "Village hidden within the mist"  
**14. Gogyo Fuin: **_lit._ means "Five Elements Seal".  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Thirteen**_


	15. Blackmail and Curse Seal of Heaven

**_Glimpses of Fire_**  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** Here is the next installment of my story. I pulled an all-nighter and am very sleep deprived at the moment, but it was worth it! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and this is dedicated to Gaara1Love, Eddi, Chinchilla Ninja Leah, and AuraofaGirl. They are my reviwers and without you I would have already taken this story off This ones for you all. Thanks! Now, on with the chapter. Enjoy!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Fourteen: Blackmail and Cursed Seal of Heaven**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane's eyes widened as Neji extracted her most priced possession from his pocket, seeing the smirk that had spread over his features. She'd never felt more helpless than at that moment and she stepped forward without realizing it, and then stopped abruptly as his hand closed over the shell. "I suggest you give me your answer quickly, unless you want it in a million pieces," he responded casually. The smirk still stretched over his face, and his pale eyes were rather unnerving.

Iwane was at a loss and she clenched her hands into fists when she saw the distressed look on Amane's face. She cursed when she noticed the dampness that gathered in her eyes as the boy threatened to destroy the shell. Her lips pressed into a thin line and almost snarled at the leaf ninja's smirk, and her chakra flared to life but quickly clamed down.

The Erizawa wanted to recover the shell, but she knew what it meant to the Itagaki. If she harmed the trinket, no matter how much she wished it would vanish, she'd never be able to forgive herself. The last thing she wanted was for Amane to be hurt. Besides, she had no idea about the Hyuuga abilities, and he looked determined to crush the shell if he had to.

Another curse left her lips as she stepped toward her companion and stuck her hand into her shirt. She ignored the other's protest and took hold of their Heaven scroll and flung it in his direction without a second thought. "Give it to me," she growled. Her eyes burned with the promise of death, which was a rare expression seen on the girl's face. Yet any that knew her would realize that she meant business.

Neji caught the scroll easily, surprised that the girl would give it up, but then turned to look at Amane. He actually flinched as he saw that the look of pain had turned into agony, and there were tears building up in her eyes. Now he felt the sting of guilt as he threw the necklace at Iwane, who caught it with both hands. Without a word, she turned to her teammate and held it out to her.

Amane's eyes were wide and she was shocked at the fact that Iwane had given up their scroll to get the necklace back. She lowered her face as she wiped at her still dry eyes before taking the offered item and holding it tightly against her chest. "You didn't..." she began as she sniffled. She was ashamed at showing such weakness over an obviously worthless thing, but that meant more to her than her own life.

Iwane gave her familiar sheepish grin before she shook her head. "No worries," she responded to her unvoiced statement as she winked. "I'll tell Eizan-sama I lost it. She'll believe it!" A laugh escaped her lips as she grinned again. "Come on."

As she turned to leave, her gaze settled on the Hyuuga boy, and all traces of mirth left her face as she gave him a contemptuous glare. Then she hopped to the next branch and moved off. She wasn't angered that he had taken the scroll, since they could recover another without too much effort. What made her blood boil was the fact that he had used her friend's suffering to barter with.

'_You'll pay,'_ she silently swore and her green orbs hardened as she wished for the Hyuuga's blood. Iwane was normally not like this, but any that associated with her knew that when it came to Amane and Eizan's well being, she could become as dangerous as the Ashikaga.

When the other had gone, Amane turned to look at Neji and frowned. "You're despicable," she whispered before she also hopped after her teammate and friend. She slipped the necklace around her neck and sighed and made sure to stuff it securely under her shirt. Her hands clenched into fists as her nails dug into her palms, and she swore that this was the last time she became a liability to her team.

Neji watched as they went and shook his head before sighing. He didn't understand how they could give up their scroll over such a small thing. Looking at the Heaven scroll, he saw that it was the one they needed. After a moment, he shrugged before putting it in his pouch where the Earth scroll rested and moved.

He chalked up their actions as weak and girly, so he should only feel pity at their lack of shinobi skills. And despite this, he felt the guilty feeling grip his chest and he sighed again. _'Damn it.'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sasuke couldn't move, again. His entire body was immobilized by the terrifying man that stood before him, and Sasuke wasn't entirely sure he was human. _'A monster, perhaps?'_ He shuddered at the thought as he lifted his gaze to fasten on him as he stood in front of them. Sakura had also been paralyzed along with him.

When his Ryuuka no Jutsu had connected with the Kusa ninja's face, Sasuke was certain he had won or, at the very least, injure him enough so he couldn't continue, and be forced to retreat. That hadn't been the case, and it appeared that his attack had little effect on him. His face looked like it was peeling off and underneath there was paler skin visible, and he didn't look like he was in pain.

'_Is he wearing a mask?' _Sasuke wondered with a frown, seeing as he moved his hand to his hitai-ate. Also, he wasn't sure if Naruto was even alive, since the older ninja had deflected Sakura's kunai as she tried to stop his descent. Now he had immediately trapped them in a paralysis jutsu and they were completely at his mercy. Sasuke didn't know what to do.

Before, he had been frozen in fear and hadn't even tried to fight, not even when Naruto had been in danger. He hadn't even tried to stop his fall and he could very well be dead. Then Sakura had yelled at him. It hadn't been her words that had snapped him out of it, but they _had _reminded him of something important.

"_Naruto is nothing like you! He's clumsy and he holds us back, but at least he has guts! Naruto's no coward!"_ As she had said that, he was reminded of his older brother, of Itachi's last words to him.

"_Foolish little brother. If you want to kill me then hate me,"_ he had told Sasuke the night he assassinated his entire clan, and parents. His voice had been as cold as his blood red eyes, and it was then he realized that perhaps he didn't know Itachi as well as he thought since he had seemed to turn into a completely different person in that instance. _'Hate me and live a miserable existence. Cling to life like a coward and without honor!' _Those words had been enough to ignite a fire in his veins because if he couldn't stand up to this enemy now, then he'd never be able to defeat Itachi.

So, he had fought and used his Sharingan to read his movements, and using Sofushasan no Tachi had attacked accordingly. He had managed to manipulate the shuriken using chakra and wire, so it would connect with his face. Of course, Sasuke had perceived that he'd catch it with his mouth, and did the seals for his fire jutsu, and it had struck! Now, it seemed that it hadn't been enough and the Kusa-nin might have been toying with him all along.

A rumbling laugh started within the older shinobi's chest, and he let it escape his mouth. His hand shredded off the fake Kusa mark from his headband. "You really are _his_ brother, aren't you," he asked, his voice becoming almost viper-like. "You can see and conceal things with those eyes of yours that Itachi himself never dreamed of." He parted his fingers to reveal the musical note on his hitai-ate, of Otogakure.

Sasuke was shocked at hearing his brother's name leave his lips as he growled. "Just who the hell are you?" he yelled, still trying to will his limbs to move, but it seemed hopeless. It was also surprising to see that he was from Oto, but he didn't understand why he would impersonate a Kusa-nin.

He lifted his hand, and he had their Heaven scroll in his grip. "I'm Orochimaru," he replied before the scroll burst into flames. "If you'd ever like a rematch, then pass this exam as fast as possible." The man ignored Sakura's cry as the scroll burned. "I'll see you again. If you manage to defeat the three Oto-nin who answer to me."

Sakura growled and finally spoke up. "Orochimaru? Of the Legendary Sannin?" She had studied her brains out in the Academy trying to impress Sasuke, so of course she knew who the man was.

Orochimaru chuckled. "It seems my reputation proceeds me." she yelled at the older ninja as he merely chuckled. She had heard his name loud and clear, and since she had studied her brains out in the Academy to try and impress Sasuke, she knew who he was.

He had once been part of the Legendary Three, that consisted of Jiraiya and Tsunade. Then he had defected from the villages for reasons known most likely only by the Hokage and other older leaf ninja, and had been labeled an S-class Nukenin. Sakura didn't understand before why he was attacking them, but now assumed that he was after the Uchiha or his blood line ability. The Sharingan was a coveted dojutsu.

Orochimaru moved his hands to form a seal as he grinned. Suddenly, his neck became like a rubber band and his head shot in Sasuke's direction as the two younger shinobi gasped in shock. Before he could complete what he planned, however, he hissed and jumped away as his neck returned to normal. A heartbeat after he had jumped, many shuriken slammed into the spot he had just been standing.

The former leaf ninja turned and narrowed his eyes on the figure that was leaning against a tree as their body heaved with every breath taken. "Naruto!" Sakura yelled and smiled, relieved to see that the blonde ninja was okay.

When Naruto lifted his gaze, his blue orbs flashed with anger. There were several bruises and cuts covering his body and clothes, and it seemed like he had snagged or hit every branch during his fall. Also, his face looked to be the most bruised.

Eizan watched as an amused smile lifted the corners of her mouth, and she shook her head. Once again, she wondered why she did such foolish things. The blonde had fallen and it was sure to be fatal. She had reacting purely on instinct and had jumped after him, and caught the boy just before he reached the ground. Then she had jumped to the ground and unceremoniously dropped him.

She had slapped him a few times to get him to come around, and he had most likely seen her blurred figure as she had jumped back into the overhead branches and disappeared. Next, she had watched with interest as he had rushed back to the battle, and she knew that the Five Elements Seal that Orochimaru had placed on his already existing one was still affecting him.

Naruto wiped his sweat covered brow and smirked at his two teammates, but wondered why they weren't moving. He realized that the snake must have placed them under a paralysis jutsu, but he was distracted as he turned his attention toward him.

"How did you recover so quickly?" His lips pressed together as his eyes narrowed. Orochimaru had felt her presence nearby, but since she hadn't intervened he had left her alone for the time being. Now, he couldn't ignore her any longer. "Come out, come out where ever you are," he said in a sing song voice as he formed the seals for Kuchiyose no Jutsu.

Meanwhile, the Suna kunoichi cursed when she heard his words and realized she was about to become part of this battle. Moving, she started to leave, but gasped as a huge snake appeared, blocking her escape. "Kuso!" she cried out as she landed on a tree branch and jumped the other way. It lunged after her and she realized it was fast.

Eizan twisted in the air, her kick connecting with its massive maw and it was driven back, but it kept coming after a few seconds. When it opened its mouth to swallow her, she narrowed her eyes and quickly performed hand seals.

'_Katon, Housenka no Jutsu!'_ The fire balls hit it around its mouth and eyes so it was momentarily blinded. She threw several kunai and shuriken at it, and most of them embedded into its head and both eyes.

It fell with a dying shriek before disappearing in a puff of smoke, but before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, another serpent slammed her from behind. She cried out as blood flowed from the corners of her mouth, and she saw that it intended to pin her against a large tree trunk and crush her.

Eizan quickly flicked out a kunai and jammed it into its scales and used the hold to flip onto its snout. She was met with two huge yellow eyes, and a moment later it had hit the tree it had been aiming for.

She ran along its head before hopping over it and kept on going down the length of it at top speed. Her figure was a blur of motion as she left the reptiles' body and jumped from tree to tree. A moment later she entered Orochimaru and the Uchiha's battleground and came to land behind the two paralyzed leaf-nin.

The raven haired girl wasted no time as she brought her hands together in a seal. _'Kai!'_ She tapped both their backs to dispel the technique.

Now she was moving again since she didn't want to linger anymore than she had to. Her intention was to flee but she was forced to stop as the second snake she had avoided appeared before her. The kunai was still sticking out of its maw between the scales.

'_Damn!' _She growled and started to perform a jutsu but was stopped. A gasp left her mouth and she flinched when something slimy wrapped around her waist. When she was yanked up viciously, she cursed again. "Kuso!" She came to dangle before Orochimaru and she saw his malicious grin. Lifting her hand in greeting, she didn't let his grin faze her. "Yo," she simply responded. "May I help you?"

Sasuke had been wondering who had been fighting against the snake Orochimaru had summoned and sent off. There had been a smirk on his lips and it had turned into a grin when seconds later they saw and heard someone use Housenka no Jutsu and the dying shrieks of the snake followed. Moments later, the Uchiha had felt a presence appear behind him, and they broke the hold Orochimaru had over them before moving on almost immediately.

He hadn't been able to see who it was since they were moving too fast. For a quick moment he wondered if it was a Konoha ninja but they hadn't seen anyone with that type of speed from their village before expect for Lee. He turned as he was able to move and saw as the person's escape was stopped by another snake. It was quite surprising when Sasuke saw that it was the shinobi from Sunagakure, Ashikaga Eizan.

'_What the **hell** is he doing here?'_ he wondered as he saw Orochimaru catch him the same way he had done with Naruto.

Meanwhile, Eizan was busy trying to melt the Sannin with a glare, but was actually trying to contain her fear. She knew who this man was, and remembered the shiver of terror she'd felt before entering the forest.

"Well, if it isn't little Eizan," he muttered. It was her turn to hiss as he called her little, since she was quite defensive when it came to her stature. He clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, but it was a wonder he managed it when most of it was wrapped around her waist. But then again, he was able to talk while doing the same thing. "Don't you know it's very bad for a Chibi like you to intervene in such a dangerous fight?"

Eizan could almost feel the hairs on the back of her neck bristle at the moniker he placed on her, and her fear was momentarily replaced by anger. "The only thing _Chibi_ around here is my patience," she growled, as she took a swing at him. "Now, what the hell do you want?" She crossed her arms over her chest when he avoided her punch easily.

Sasuke didn't know whether to be stunned or amused at the boy's defiance toward Orochimaru. He had been terrified of the man upon first encountering him, and so he smirked as he wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek with the back of his hand. When he glanced at Naruto, he frowned when he saw his blue eyes fixed on Eizan, and the worry etched into his tanned features. At times, his blonde teammate cared too much for people.

The older shinobi chuckled. "You have quite a mouth on you," he drawled before grinning. "Your defiance is what makes you a good candidate for Otogakure." He pulled her closer as he reached out to caress her features. She flinched and pulled away in disgust, but his hands clamped around her jaw. His fingers bit viciously into her face as she winced. "You do remember my offer, don't you?"

When she hesitated, his smirk turned sinister. "Hai, you know it was me on that playground." By this time, his voice had lowered to a whisper so only she was able to hear his words. Now she felt his lips brush against her left ear as she shuddered, her whole body starting to tremble. "You remember the _fear_ don't you...Arisa-chan?"

From where he stood, Sasuke couldn't hear what Orochimaru was saying, but he saw the effects it was having on Eizan. He had managed to terrify the Suna boy and he almost felt sorry for him.

Sasuke's head snapped to the side as he saw Naruto rush forward to try and help Eizan. Orochimaru noticed him as he smirked, tightened his hold on the boy's slender waist as he jumped back. "Naruto, stop!" he yelled too late, and the snake that had all but been forgotten attacked the blonde. He cursed and moved toward Naruto to help him.

Eizan could feel her whole body trembling as she vividly remembered the terror that had gripped her that day. She had fled and hadn't wanted to stop since she was sure he would follow, and he had. His words left no doubt in her mind and she knew it had been him on the playground back in Sunagakure.

She should have paid attention to the warning signs earlier. After feeling the cold hand of fear grip her when she had seen him earlier in his Kusa-nin disguise, she should have realized it was him. Also, if she had known he was from Oto, she never would have interfered since this was probably part of the plan that Gaara had briefly told her about. Even so, she wondered what the details of it were, since Gaara had only told her that she should be prepared to fight and kill when he instructed.

Now it was too late, though, and the fear stilled her movements and paralyzed her very mind. At least until she heard Sasuke yell Naruto's name. Turning, she saw them engaged in battle with the snake from before. It almost made her smile when she realized that the loud ninja had rushed into danger to try and help her.

"Eizan-nii-san!" Naruto jumped back as the snake snapped at him, not wanting to be swallowed again. That was one experience he didn't want to go through again. He remembered that Kabuto guy telling Sasuke that the Suna-nin was named Ashikaga Eizan. Even if the information had listed him as dead the picture had been identical, so Naruto knew it had to be him.

"Get your hands off him, dattebayo!" he yelled and jumped toward Orochimaru, but the snake blocked him off again. Sasuke yelled at him to stop being foolish and concentrate on killing the snake first. He cursed but did as he was told.

Her mouth had parted in surprise when he had called out her name in the same way that she had always called out to her brother. The smile lifted her lips and she felt her fear leave her. Then Orochimaru's hold tightened until it was almost painful as she groaned and turned her glare on the snake man.

Orochimaru frowned as the blonde's voice seemed to snap the girl out of the terror he had put her in. When she turned to glare at him he saw the defiant look light up her eyes as he formed a seal. This was the same one that he had done before Naruto showed up and knew that he had to do this now while he had a chance.

The Kyuubi brat seemed to have influence over not only Sasuke, but Eizan as well. He knew that he also had to separate the girl from her teammates, since they appeared to be changing her as well as filling the void inside her. It was only a matter of time before he wouldn't be able to influence her and his plans would fall apart. However, he was sure that right now he could influence her into staying at Otogakure; he just had to get her there.

He felt the chakra signals that were approaching and knew he had to do it now. When he opened his mouth, his fangs elongated and he wasted no time and bit into Eizan's neck. He heard her gasp quietly, knowing she was likely to fight against it, but not for long. Orochimaru had planned on marking Sasuke as well, but Naruto had intervened but at least he was able to mark this one.

His fangs retracted and in a matter of seconds, the bite mark disappeared and three black tomoe appeared on her neck. The whimper of pain that came from the girl indicated that she was starting to become affected by the Ten no Juin.

A split second later, he felt a wind jutsu slam into his back as he stumbled and grunted. Another figure darted by and tore Eizan from his grip, and he would have held on but felt a sharp projectile press against his tongue. He released her since he had already left his parting gift on her, but he could tell that she was fighting it even now. From what he had seen of her will power, he knew it would take a while for the curse seal to take over. It probably had something to do with her fire abilities, but he wasn't sure. Either way, he knew she'd fall under the power of the seal sooner or later. It was just a matter of time.

The one that had taken Eizan from Orochimaru came to stop a few branches away, and was soon joined by the ninja that had performed the wind jutsu. Both were holding the limp kunoichi between them, who looked ready to collapse if she was released. "Don't you dare touch Eizan-sama," the one on the right growled. Her emerald orbs were like stone and her lightly tanned features were twisted in anger.

Sasuke and Naruto had defeated the snake and now turned to see that Eizan's teammates had appeared, and seemed to have already rescued him. They were holding him up since he was trembling so much he probably wouldn't have been able to stand on his own. The only one of their group that had seen what Orochimaru had done was Sakura, but for the moment she ignored both boys and looked up at the exchange between the Suna-nin and the snake.

Sasuke had heard the honorific they used for the shorter ninja, and wondered if that meant that he was stronger than the other two. If that were the case, then he certainly understood why Eizan was the leader. He hadn't seen what had happened with him and Orochimaru, but he had caught sight of the seal he had made. It was the same one that he had tried to use on him before Naruto interrupted. He wondered if he had managed to perform it on him before his teammates arrived.

The one that had spoken had their shoulder length black hair pinned at the back of his head, and his dark green eyes flashed dangerously. He looked at the one at Eizan's left, and the Uchiha saw that his waist length hair was pulled into the same braid that he had seen on him the other day. He also noticed that while his face was expressionless, his ebony pools were like molten lava. Sasuke let his own black eyes pass over their bodies for several seconds, trying to determine which one had the scroll, but he couldn't tell.

Orochimaru hadn't been affected by the attack and would have avoided it if he hadn't been busy with the lovely Eizan. "Well, if it isn't Eizan-kun's teammates," he replied with a bemused expression.

He had gotten the impression that the others had confused her for a boy and went with it since that would keep her a bit separated from the blonde. If he thought she was a boy, then he wouldn't be as defensive about her if he knew she was really a girl, but he wondered how they could confuse her for one. Then he remembered the boy he had seen when the second part of the exam started, the one named Takejiro and had to admit that even he had confused him for a girl.

Now, while this was getting rather interesting, he knew that he couldn't linger any longer. The bodies of the three Kusa ninja they had killed and replaced would have been found by now. "Remember Chibi," he fixed his gaze on Eizan. He saw her flinch as he spoke to her and his smirk turned into a grin. It seemed that the blonde boy hadn't been around Eizan long enough to leave a lasting impression, but he knew that he had to take both her and Sasuke away and taint them with his colors soon. "I'll come back for you _soon_."

Amane's lips twisted in a sneer as her eyes narrowed. "And you'll die trying," she snarled as her hold tightened on the younger girl. She would do everything in her power to keep her friend out of this mans' clutches, and she didn't have to look at Iwane to know that her expression said the same.

The Sannin merely laughed at her words as he started to sink into the bark of the tree. "Oh trust me, I've already won," he replied cryptically. "All that's needed is the final piece of the puzzle." His gaze now shifted to Sasuke as the boy shivered. Then he disappeared from sight, but his laughter lingered for several seconds until that faded as well.

The raven haired boy glared at the spot he had seemed to merge with the tree before he was gone. He could no longer feel his chakra and he finally allowed himself to relax and take a deep, calming breath. Now he turned to make sure that Naruto and Sakura were unharmed since he needed them to pass the exam.

While he would never admit it out loud, he actually worried about their well being. He was an Uchiha and thus couldn't show such emotions. Now, that he was sure they were well, he turned to look in the direction of the three Suna ninja.

Iwane moved to set Eizan against the tree trunk with Amane's help since she still looked unsteady for the moment. She was very disturbed to see her trembling as she hung her head, and one hand clutching her neck. Without looking at her features, she was sure her eyes were staring blankly ahead, at nothing.

"I think she's in shock," the Erizawa muttered quietly as the wind user stood before them. Her eyes had yet to leave the Konoha Genin, since she didn't trust any of them. She refused to drop her guard with Eizan in this state, and while it didn't appear that way, she knew Iwane long enough to know she had yet to drop her guard. It was rather hard to tell when she did since she was so whimsical at times.

For a few moments, she tried to snap the other girl out of her trance but she didn't seem to want to react. _'This exam is turning into a disaster'_, Iwane couldn't help but think.

Naruto wiped a bit of blood from his face before hopping toward them. His clothes were a mess, splattered with the snake's blood and his own, but he knew they could only get worse as the days wore on. He stopped when Amane flipped out a kunai and stepped toward him, blocking his view of the other two Suna Genin. "Uh, I just wanted to see if he was okay," he said as he scratched the back of his head. "I think he saved me when I fell."

Amane arched an eyebrow when the blonde referred to Eizan as a _'he'_ but didn't correct his mistake, and glared at him instead. "Eizan-sama's condition is not your concern." She took a single step toward him, and lifted the weapon menacingly. "Now, back away." Eizan's voice stopped her before she attacked the Konoha Genin.

"A... Amane-kun, t-tomare," she muttered, hand still clenched over a place on her neck. The older girl flinched at the way her voice trembled, but backed off. Even then, she refused to let the blonde ninja pass since Eizan's well being was her only concern at the moment.

"I am fine, Uzumaki-san," the kunoichi replied more steadily as she rested her head against the tree trunk behind her. She sighed and closed her eyes for several moments, and anyone might have missed the strain on her face. Iwane didn't and she frowned at the way she had been clutching her neck all this time. Her sharp eyes had seen the man bite Eizan in the same place, but she didn't know why.

Naruto was startled since no one had ever spoken to him with any respect before, so he actually blushed. With a sheepish smile, he scratched the back of his head again. "Call me Naruto, dattebayo," he said as his familiar foxy grin returned to his features.

He had seen that the boy's trembling had lessened considerably and he was relieved. What he failed to realize, was that Eizan was forcing the shaking to subside. "I'm glad you're fine, and thanks for saving my butt back there."

Eizan waved a dismissive hand as she maintained her eyes closed. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as she fought against the seal. If she let her guard down for even a single moment, she knew it would consume her. "I was more than happy to save your cute little butt," she commented with a smirk. She cracked one eye open to see his blush deepen and she chuckled despite the strain she was under.

The blonde was flustered by his words since no guy, or anyone for that matter, had ever said such a thing to him. For a crazy moment, he wondered if the Suna boy was flirting with him. So, to hide his embarrassment, he glanced at Sasuke.

He saw as Sakura standing quietly besides him as she observed everything that was happening, and Sasuke was doing the same thing. "Don't worry about Sasuke-teme, dattebayo," he said as he returned his gaze to Eizan. "He always has that face. I'm sure he's also grateful to you for saving his ass."

Sasuke clenched his teeth at his words and left Sakura on the tree branch by herself as he hopped over. He landed besides Naruto and openly glared at the three Suna ninja. "Shut up, dobe," he said to his blonde teammate before fastening his ebony orbs on Eizan. "Why did you help us?" His tone was suspicious, since he didn't trust any of them, even if he _had_ saved him.

Eizan chuckled as she ran a hand through her short, wild black hair before shaking her head. "I didn't. I helped Naruto-san," she muttered. She didn't notice the light haired boy brighten as she called him by his first name as he had asked her to. A soft cough escaped her lips and she cleared her throat as she struggled to her feet, and held out a hand to stop Iwane as she tried to help.

"I only broke the paralysis on you in the hopes that it would divert Orochimaru's attention away from me." She gave a shrug as she leaned heavily against the tree. "Obviously, it didn't work." It was half true, but there was no need to tell _him_ that. A surge of pain passed through her as she straightened and she winced and fought to stay in control. "Come on, let's go."

Sasuke saw the grimace of pain play across his face and briefly wondered if it had anything to do with the seal Orochimaru had formed. He wondered if that meant that Orochimaru had managed to perform that jutsu on him while they fought the snake.

As Eizan moved to depart he impulsively stepped toward him. He stopped as the other two boys appeared before him suddenly, and they were already forming hand seals. Sasuke had thought the green eyed shinobi had been off guard.

'_A wind and earth jutsu,'_ he observed and knew that he wouldn't be able to dodge both. He had seen their speed in the classroom and knew they were faster than him. Sasuke didn't even know why he had moved forward in the first place, so decided to wing it. He locked his gaze on Eizan and issuing a challenge was the only thing that came to mind. "Fight me," he said to the shorter boy, ignoring Naruto's protests.

Eizan stopped as she had been about to jump away and turned to look at him. "What was that?" she asked as an amused smile turned up the corners of her lips. She had seen most of his fight against Orochimaru and had to admit that he could become a worthy adversary. However, not only was she in no condition to fight, but Gaara would be upset if she fought his desired opponent. "I have no interest in fighting you, Uchiha-san."

While he hadn't intended to challenge him at first, Sasuke was still angered by the others response. He stopped forward again but was stopped once more by the other two Suna-nin. "And why is that?" he demanded as his black eyes flashed dangerously before narrowing. He realized that since Orochimaru had destroyed their Heaven scroll, they needed to recover both of them now.

She smirked at the expression that crossed his features for a brief moment, and then she gave him a very Iwane-like grin before resting her right hand on her hip. "Because I'm more interested in fighting against Naruto-san," she responded, winking in the blonde's direction before hopping off. Amane and Iwane turned as one to look at said boy with different expressions of surprise on their faces. Then they too left, following the retreating ninja.

Naruto blinked, clearly stunned by the boy's words, who was an inch under his own height. He could only blush again and scratch the back of his head with a sheepish laugh. Sasuke's glare had settled on him, but he didn't seem to notice as he started after the three Suna shinobi that had already left their sight. Sakura, who had been a silent witness through the whole exchange, didn't miss the glare. She was worried and wondered what they would do now that they had lost their scroll.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane stopped besides Eizan when she came to land on the ground, after putting almost half a mile between them and the other Genin team. She frowned as she looked at her, and she was clearly still shaken by the encounter with Orochimaru, but she knew the fire wielder was forcing herself to be still since she could hear her heart beating wildly. Every once in a while she saw her body stiffen with pain and her features twist momentarily before she regained control. The wind user was sure that Iwane's sharp eyes had caught them as well.

Eizan turned to look at her with a weak sheepish smile tracing her pale, sweaty features. She shook her head to indicate she was fine, but then she suddenly swayed dangerously. The two girls moved quickly to keep her from toppling over.

"You're not well," Amane muttered. A frown creased her own features as she saw the blood that stained her hand. _'When did she get this?'_ she wondered, seeing the dark spot on the front of her shirt, close to her waist. She realized that it must have happened when she had defended them from the Kusa-nin's attack. Her teeth clenched in anger, but at herself.

Iwane narrowed her eyes as she met her teammate's gaze over the shorter girl's head since she was currently slouched forward and leaning heavily against them. Their leader had never been this shaken or wounded before. While she had gotten minor injuries on missions, they had never been serious. Her eyes narrowed as she saw not only the wound soaking the front of her shirt, but more blood staining the back of it. That must have happened before they had arrived to get her away from Orochimaru.

The smaller girl looked ready to collapse if they were to let her go. "We should rest," Iwane said firmly. Even Eizan knew not to argue with the earth user when she used that tone of voice.

As she nodded, they moved to help her sit down against a nearby tree, and that's when Iwane saw the three black tomoe on her neck like a bruise. She frowned and opened her mouth to ask her about it, since they were in the same place she had been bitten.

She was cut off before she could as the pyro-girl froze at the same time that Iwane's eyes shifted to the side. Amane let go of Eizan as the other held her up before crouching down and pressing an ear against the earth. She felt the vibrations of someone near by.

"Three of them, a few meters away," she replied in a low voice, not wanting to alert them of their presence. Straightening, she turned to look at Iwane and motioned toward Eizan. When she nodded, the taller girl moved her hands to form seals. "Suiton, Illusion of Rain," she muttered one of the few water jutsu that she knew. She seemed to fade away as if she had turned into mist.

The team of Konoha ninja they had sensed were getting ready to rest, one of them starting to move to secure food. When the Genjutsu settled over them, they blinked as the sky darkened above them. They looked up as the rain started to descend on them and while they didn't realize, they had become paralyzed by the technique. The brown haired girl didn't know what scroll they had, it didn't matter since now they needed both. Her teammates watched from a distance as Amane disposed of them with a vengeance. Eizan lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the taller girl.

Iwane gave her a helpless grin and she muttered something but one look at the other's face made her tell the truth. She saw her onyx eyes harden but knew that she would be angrier at the Hyuuga for bargaining with the shell. Turning to look back at Amane, Eizan understood the ninja's frustration at having lost the scroll.

When the three shinobi had been thoroughly knocked out –a bit harsher than was necessary– Iwane and Eizan approached. They saw as she wiped blood from her face, grinning a bit maniacally. She flung something in her leader's direction and the fire user saw that it was a scroll with the kanji symbol _'Chi'_ on it.

"Now we just need to get back the Heaven scroll," Amane heard Eizan say. Her attention snapped toward her but the other simply gave her grin before she sighed. Crouching on the ground for a moment, she tried to get her heart beat to slow down. If she allowed herself to continue in this berserker mode, then she knew that she'd collapse sooner or later. She had to pace herself now that they at least had one scroll.

Eizan tensed a moment later as Iwane flicked her gaze to the side, and Amane hopped up as she caught something in mid-air as it sailed toward them. She had been about to fling it as she heard someone retreating quickly, since it could be a hazard. However, she froze as she saw the object in her hand. It was a scroll with the kanji sign _'Ten'_ on it. "What-?"

Iwane grabbed it out of her hand and looked it over carefully, eyes narrowed. After a few moments, she looked at Eizan and nodded to indicate that it was authentic, but she clearly didn't understand. "It was the Hyuuga," she said, looking at Amane as the taller girl frowned. "I don't get it."

A sigh left her lips as Eizan took both scrolls and stuffed them into her shirt, between her vest and chain mail shirt once again. "Let's not think about it," she commented and moved to plop down besides a tree. She was exhausted and could gradually feel the pain starting to worsen as time pass by. Soon, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from falling under.

"We'll rest here for a while." Her voice was little more than a gasp as she swallowed the lump in her throat before closing her eyes. Also, she couldn't help but wonder about why the Hyuuga had returned the scroll.

'_Did he already have a Heaven scroll?'_ The thoughts were quickly dispelled as a new wave of pain swept through her body. She knew that by this time Gaara's team would have already arrived a long time ago, and would most likely be the first team to finish. They wouldn't be able to reach it for at least another day since she knew that whatever Orochimaru had done to her, it would soon take what strength she had left.

Amane remained where she stood and glanced in the direction the boy had been, not having seen him but heard as he had approached them. She also wondered why he had returned the scroll to them. Even if he already had a Heaven scroll, he still could have kept it in case his team came across an enemy they couldn't defeat. With a sigh, she shook her head and decided not to think about it now.

There was a stream nearby, since she could hear the sound of running water. Turning toward her two teammates, she saw that Iwane was already leaning against the tree. "I'll secure food," she mumbled so they almost didn't hear and went off. She heard the short haired girl call after her to be careful as she smirked. There was no way she would become useless again.

Reaching the stream, she caught enough fish for the three of them before wiping her brow of perspiration and glancing up. The night was quickly ending and dawn would come in a few hours. She knew they would sleep in turns and only for two hours each before moving again.

They still had four days left, but she knew Eizan would want to reach the tower soon. One of the reasons was that she most likely didn't want to meet up with the snake again. Amane didn't blame her because the man had also caused her very blood to run cold in her veins.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Naruto sighed as he fell on his rear, wincing as he accidentally jarred a wound on his side. He didn't remember it, but assumed that he must have hit something as he fell. The only thing he was grateful for was that he hadn't hit the ground, and he had Eizan to thank for that.

It bugged him that the other boy _did_ save him. The last time he had seen him had technically been after their meeting at Ichiraku, and they hadn't parted on such good terms. After a moment, a grin split his features as he assumed that now they might be able to become good friends. Apparently, he had completely forgotten that the other ninja was interested in fighting him.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was watching his teammate from his position on top of the root of a large tree. They had agreed that resting on the ground would be the best option and that way the tree's roots would ensure that any enemy would have to attack from one direction. There was the possibility that they could use exploding notes but the person keeping watching watch would make sure to wake the others up before they were hit.

Naruto would take the first watch, since he had told them it would be pretty hard to wake up if he slept now. The shifts would be two hours and Sakura would take the second watch and Sasuke would take the last one. He was a light sleeper, so he wasn't too worried.

Right now though, the prospect of sleeping was furthest from his mind as he frowned and glared at the ground now. His arms were crossed before his chest as he remembered the conversation between himself and the shinobi from Suna.

'_I'm more interested in fighting Naruto-san.'_ the other boy's words caused his blood to boil for some reason. He had dismissed him so easily, and had even sounded amused when Sasuke had challenged him! While he had done so to cover his slight impulsive movement, it still bothered the Uchiha since he never felt so..._strongly_ about anything, besides killing Itachi. After a few more moments to ponder this, he put it out of his mind since there were more important things that needed to be done.

The loud blonde stretched and leaned against the truck of the tree as Sasuke turned his glare in his direction now. He moved to settle on the ground by the root he had been sitting on. They would all lay close together since it'd easier to pick them off if they were lying separately.

"Hey, don't you dare fall asleep during your shift, usuratonkachi," he called to Naruto as he folded his arms beneath his head as a makeshift pillow. He only received a glare in response before the other flicked him off. Sasuke found that he couldn't help but smirk as he closed his eyes, and before long he had settled into a light slumber.

Not far from where they were, three pairs of eyes watched them from their position in the trees overhead. They made no movement to continue on as they noticed that the blonde was awake as he glared around the still darkened area. The spiky haired boy smirked and didn't turn to look at his companions, another boy with bandages covering most of his face and a kunoichi.

"We will attack when their weakest member is on guard duty," he said with a sinister chuckle. The other two merely nodded as the girl smirked. And the bandaged ones' face was so covered that one would not tell his expression, but his one visible eyes narrowed the slightest bit. They would no doubt attack just before dawn and then the fun would begin.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1. **Katon, Ryuuka no Jutsu:** Fire Style, Dragon Flame Jutsu  
2. **Sofushasan no Tachi:** _lit._ "Manipulating Windmill Triple Blades".  
3. **Kuso:** as far as I know, it means crap.  
4. **Kai: **release, used to dispel an illusion or to release certain types of jutsu.  
5. **Ten no Juin:** _lit._ "Cursed Seal of Heaven".  
6. **tomoe: **the comma like markings on the curse seal and on the Sharingan.  
6. **usuratonkachi:** Sasuke often ends his statements to Naruto with this, which is a unique way of saying 'you idiot'. In the dub it is usually translated to "you total loser" or simply "loser".  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Fourteen**_


	16. Rude Awakening

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** There was a lot of blood shed, sweat and tears spilled in order to get to where I could post this...some of that is true but I won't expound. Let's just say that I've had an eventful week that should best be forgotten. Either way, on with the story and I hope you enjoy it. Also, this is dedicated to Moyiriana. Sorry, no interaction this time either, next one, I promise! XD (PS: Any that haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth should do so! It might be in Spanish, but it has subtitles and it's REALLY good, that is all.)

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Fifteen: Rude Awakening**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_Eizan turned her head and lifted her small hands to grope around in the darkness but there was nothing there as she continued to walk on. The air was freezing as she shuddered, her breath coming out white. She could hear the sound of cruel laughter start faintly and then it became louder as she kept moving. Her legs ached but she compelled herself to keep moving since she was frightened of what might happen if she were to stop._

_She finally came to a stop when a structure came out of nowhere ahead of her and she was surprised when it was familiar to her. The young girl smiled and turned back toward the direction the laughter was coming from and shuddered, and moved forward quickly. Soon she'd be in the comfort and safety of her home and nothing would be able to harm her._

_Her hand reached out to the door knob when she arrived in front of it, but before she could turn it there was a pulse of heat and the structure caught fire. She gasped and tried to pull the door open, but it wouldn't budge. Her small fists banged against the wooden surface as she screamed._

"_Oka-san! Tou-san!" She was hitting the surface so hard that the skin had broken and blood ran from the self-inflicted wounds, but she didn't even feel them. "Eizan-nii-san!"_

_The fire roared as if in a rage and ravaged a section of the roof and it fell toward her. She cried out and stumbled back and landed on her rear. Her eyes lifted and she watched her home continue to burn. _

Her tiny hands clamped over her ears as she heard the screams of agony coming from the house. She shuddered with the effort to hold in her sobs. Meanwhile, the laughter continued on around her, and it taunted and tore at her sanity.

"_Stop it," she whispered, scrambling to her feet and moving back. On and on the screams and laughter continued as tears slipped past her eyes and streaked down her soot covered face. "Just...__**stop it!**__"_

_The sounds suddenly changed and now she only heard them as distant echoes. A pair of strong arms wrapped around the girl and pulled her against a larger body. Her body stiffened as her eyes snapped open, and her breath caught in her throat. Something slimy slid across her cheek and left a sticky trail along her skin before she realized that it was grotesquely long tongue, and she tried to cry out but her voice dried up within her throat._

_Someone shushed her gently and she shivered in horror as their lips brushed against her ear. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." The arms and hands wrapped around her were pale and looked to belong to a corpse._

_The arms tightened around her but she couldn't see the person, only hear their voice. "Yes, I'll take good care of you, my dear." The tongue wrapped around her throat as her mouth parted in a silent scream and she hadn't noticed that the laughter had turned into an alarmed screech._  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan had been slumped against the tree trunk and now she straightened as a gasp left her mouth and her eyes snapped open. One trembling hand pressed against the seal that Orochimaru had marked her with and immediately afterwards a surge of pain passed over her.

She felt tears sting her eyes but refused to let them fall or to cry out. Over the course of her life she had experienced many types of pain, but nothing like this before. Her very soul felt like it was being torn apart and she tried to hold it off as she shuddered. She took in quick breaths as her chest rose with intake of air as she tried to calm her racing pulse.

Her gaze shot up at the sound of approaching footsteps and she saw the figure looming over her. She was still caught somewhere between the nightmare and she almost cried out until she heard them speak.

"Eizan-sama?" she heard Iwane's familiar voice and felt relief flood through her. When her vision cleared at last, she was able to see her teammate's concerned face as the older girl crouched in front of her.

The other girl's features twisted into a frown as she saw the pallor of Eizan's skin and the perspiration that covered her face. Her sharp eyes caught the shaking of her body a moment before she had woken up. Iwane saw when she awoke and moved toward her as her eyes shifted fearfully toward her.

Her reaction had been so confusion but she'd seen the recognition register in her eyes as she'd kneeled in front of her. She was in time to catch her as she pitched forward and she felt the trembling turn into uncontrollable shudders. The Erizawa turned quickly toward Amane whom was sleeping no more than a foot away and she fixed to call out to her.

"Onegai, don't," she whispered pleadingly as her hands clutched tightly at her shirt. Iwane hesitated before sighing and nodding, but cursed all the same. She didn't need Amane's ears to hear the pain under lying Eizan's tone. Her arms wrapped around the smaller girl, and while she didn't know what was wrong, she'd offer as much comfort as she needed. More than likely, it had to do with the bruise on her neck that she had seen.

Another sigh escaped her lips after several moments when she felt the fire user go limp in her hold. She had passed out once more, and as she eased her away slightly, she caught sight of the three black tomoe again. Her brows furrowed into a frown and she wondered if it was a seal of some kind. If that was the case, then maybe it would explain her pain and fear.

Iwane eased the shorter girl against the tree in what she hoped was a comfortable position and knew she would not wake her for the next shift as they had agreed. Her slender fingers pushed back her bangs as her eyes flicked to Amane as her chest changed the slightest bit from its previous rhythm. The earth user knew that she had just woken up, and as Amane stirred, her gaze moved back to the third member of their team.

The Itagaki's eyes opened and her hand immediately moved to her kunai holster but paused when she realized that it was Iwane who was crouching in front of Eizan. "What's wrong?" she muttered with a yawn as she sat up, since she had seen the frown on her face. As she stretched she winced slightly, since sleeping on the ground wasn't exactly comfortable. She popped her sore neck with a groan.

Iwane sighed and plopped down where she had been crouching, and rubbed at her tired eyes. It had been almost a full twenty-four hours since she had gotten sleep, since she had been woken up the other night by a feeling of dread. When she sat up, her emerald gaze had instinctively gone to Amane. The other had been sleeping soundly and so had Eizan. It was four hours before dawn, but the shadow of foreboding had invaded her mind so thoroughly that she was unable to regain the comfort of sleep anymore.

She rubbed a hand against her features and knew that there were bags starting to show under her eyes and gave the other a weak smile. It was not the same as her usual grins and it caused the Amane to realize just how tired the other was. "She had a nightmare, I think," she replied quietly so as not to wake up the other.

Before Iwane's shift had started two hours ago, they had bandaged the short girls' wounds before she had settled into an uneasy slumber. She hadn't even been able to ask her about the seal, and she had failed to mention it to her other teammate.

Amane nodded and also turned her dark orbs on the still girl, a frown creasing the contours of her delicate features. "They're both a bit unstable, huh?" she asked. Her eyes turned toward her other teammate and she had to fight off a weary sigh.

A scowl appeared on Iwane's face as she shook her head. "No, he is becoming more unstable and dragging her down with him," she growled, hands clenching tightly. When the wind user turned to look at her, she met her gaze with the scowl still on her features. "She'd be better off far away from him."

Amane couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her mouth, but it lacked mirth. She shook her head and finally let the sigh leave her. "You know as well as I do that she'd never willingly leave Gaara-san's side." Despite her words, she couldn't help but clench her hands in anger as well. "She'd die for him if he asked her to." Her words were suddenly tinted with venom, black eyes hardening considerably.

Iwane sighed when she felt her weariness start to catch up with her and she hung her head. "She would," she muttered quietly before closing her eyes and felt the exhaustion more profound. "I need sleep. Your turn." Before the other could speak the earth user fell over onto her side, and drifted off before her head even met the hard ground beneath her. She had obviously passed out and Amane sighed, stood and straightened her friend's body next to Eizan's unconscious figure.

She wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek that had more than likely been acquired sometime during her nap. "Yeah," she commented under her breath. The wind user rubbed her eyes to wake up and extracted a small canteen-like object from her pouch and drank from it before splashing some of the water onto her face. Her ebony orbs glanced at the sky after she replaced the canteen and knew that they had to move before dawn and that was at the most, four hours away.

At day break they were bound to be more prone to get attacked since most of the teams were sure to move at day break. She didn't want to be caught with both of her teammates currently unable to attack and so she slipped her hand into her pouch.

There was no time to waste and she got to work setting up traps that would alert them of anyone's' presence. The Itagaki had wanted to put exploding notes, but that might draw more attention and that's exactly what she wanted to prevent. She wanted all three of them to get out of the Forest of Death alive.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Anko felt four kunai slip easily into her hand from the sheath concealed inside her sleeve, and moments later his tongue snapped out of his mouth to encircle her left wrist. She cursed as his grip forced her to release the weapons and landed on the tree branch he was on, since she had jumped into the air for a better aim. Her hand curled around the grotesque appendage.

'_Sen'eijashu!'_ As she did the jutsu, snakes came out of her sleeve. They wrapped around the slimy tongue before clamping their fangs into it so she'd have a better hold. Anko twisted in place and pulled with all her might as she flung him over her head. He landed hard on the other side of the wide tree branch they were on.

As she straightened and lifted her gaze, she saw Orochimaru's smirk too late and she felt the resistance on his end slacken. He came at her, a scream leaving her lips when she was slammed between his larger body and the unforgiving tree trunk, yet she refused to let him get the upper hand.

She grabbed him and twisted their bodies, and she managed to roughly pin him against the tree that had previously been at her back. Flipping out a kunai in her right hand, she impaled it through the back of her left hand. Even as she gasped in pain, she smirked since the blade had also gone completely through his hand as well and embedded into the wood underneath.

Now that he was closer, she caught the scent of his familiar musk, and could easily see almost every detail of the shriveled and charred face he had stolen. His only visible yellow, serpent orb shifted to meet hers as a grin twisted her lips. "Orochimaru-sensei," she spat the title out like it was poison. "Could you lend me your left hand?" Without waiting for a response, she took hold of it and formed a seal.

It was a Kinjutsu he had taught her so long ago, and his expression, or what was seen of it, indicated that he recognized it as his left eye widened. "That's right. We're going to die together. Here." If her sadistic grin could get wider, it would have. _'Sojasosai no Jutsu!'_ But before she could finish, a voice stopped her.

"You mean to commit suicide?" asked a voice behind her. "How precious!" Anko turned sharply as her wide eyes fastened on Orochimaru, sitting calmly on a tree branch several feet away. "That's a Bunshin," he replied, though it was obvious. Especially, when the body she had captured vanished. The cloud of smoke dissipated, and she was left with her hands against the tree bark, left one still impaled with the kunai.

"Since for the time being, it appears you have become one of this village's Jonin elite, you mustn't squander every secret I taught you." His injured hand grabbed what remained of the mask and tore it off, as he formed a seal with the other.

Anko had already yanked out the kunai and had been about to move toward him, but was stopped as he formed the hand seal. A cold shudder passed over her at the agony that gripped her entire body. She moaned as she was brought down to her knees, a hand clutching her neck. The Ten no Juin he had placed on her so many years ago, throbbed and threatened to drive her mad with the pain. "Why?" she managed to ask between clenched teeth. "Why are you here? Why **now**?!"

Even as the pain seized her, hatred more powerful took hold that was almost enough to make her move again. For so long, she had vowed to kill this man that was now before her. Her only wish for many years was to stain her hands with his blood so she could at last have her vengeance on him for using her and then throwing her away like she was disposable, but another vicious throb brought her crashing to her knees once more, and left her completely at his mercy. How ironic.

Her whole body was slicked with perspiration and her clothes clung uncomfortably and as she withered in pain, she heard him chuckle. She lifted her sweaty face and her dark brown eyes finally landed on his face. "For old time's sake, of course, Anko-chan," he said and his voice a cross between a seductive purr and a dangerous hiss.

His alabaster face was a contrast in their ever darkening surroundings, and his defined cheekbones and smug grin caused Anko to become more angered. He knew the affectionate use of her name would cause her to become even more angered. "But from your cold reaction, one might almost suspect you're not glad to see me!" He continued to taunt her, knowing full well that she'd be anything but happy to see him.

However, Anko was also surprised as she fastened her eyes on him, since he looked just like she remembered him. Hell, it looked like he hadn't even aged a day. He still had his striking good looks, despite the paleness of his skin. Those viper eyes were still the same and could cause her to shudder from more than just the pain.

"Why are you here?" she asked again, ignoring his statement. She refused to allow him to play her for a fool again. "Is it an assassination attempt? Are you after Hokage-sama?" If that was his plan, she knew that she had to try and stop him at all costs. She was a shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato and she'd be damned if she let him go. However, she found that her body wouldn't respond to her commands, and she clenched her teeth to keep from crying out as a new wave of agony went through her.

"Heavens, no," he said with a chuckle. He continued to hold the hand seal before him as he lounged against the tree truck. His long black hair flowed around his white features and down his back as he flicked a loose strand from his face with his right, injured hand. "I lack the hubris and the proper number of subordinates to attempt anything of that magnitude." He sighed and leaned his head back, but there was a look that spoke of a hunger for power. "My targets are any ninja in this exam who display extraordinary abilities."

Her eyes lifted to meet his over the distance and Orochimaru was able to see her eyes alit with ferocious hatred. "In fact, I just left the Ten no Juin on a very promising candidate," he replied nonchalantly but there was a smirk on his features.

Anko growled, wondering which boy had been unfortunate enough to have caught Orochimaru's interest. When she attempted to stand, she once again collapsed on her knees. "You monster! The boy is sure to be dead in no time," she snarled, clutching her neck just below the seal, but not daring to touch it. She never wanted to touch it again, and would have gladly cut it out if she didn't run the risk of killing herself in the process.

He chuckled as he gave a shrug as if it were no concern of his. "Perhaps you're right," he allowed. "The odds of surviving are one out of ten. Of course, there's still a chance. _She_ may survive...as you did." The smirk hadn't left his face and he watched her reaction from where he sat.

'_A girl?'_ She frowned as she tried to calm her wild heartbeat as her breathing became harsher. "A girl, huh?" she muttered. "And the thought of her gives you a charge?" Her words were delivered with a nasty retort, remembering that he had once wanted her as his student. She now wondered what his motives were, since she could not remember a lot. He had apparently eradicated certain memories before he had abandoned her and left Konoha. At times, she wished he had wiped her mind clean, and then she wouldn't have had to suffer his torment all this time.

"Oh dear Anko, are you jealous?" he asked. Then he sent more chakra into the hand sign and into the curse seal. He laughed softly again as she moaned. "After all this time, are you still bitter that I used you and left you to rot in this pitiful village?" Anko had collapsed onto her hands and knees, and now clenched her hand beside her, knowing he had hit the nail on the head. "This child seems quite exceptional, unlike you. She possesses a beautiful face and strong body, and even a Kekkei Genkai." He grinned then. "A boy has also caught my eye. His bloodline is that of the Uchiha Clan and he could be the perfect vessel to succeed me. They are the ideal pair for my plans."

Anko groaned as she fell over once he released his hold on her cursed seal. "I foresee interesting times," he continued before shrugging. "Assuming the girl survives." Anko found that she couldn't move even now that he had released her, the torment of the seal having sapped her strength dry. He stood and turned to look at her. "It's sure to be an interesting exam, none the less. And don't get any clever ideas about ending the exam." She lifted her head to meet his gaze before he moved on. "Three of my subordinates have taken the places of three of your own." He vanished in a puff of smoke before she could respond. "If something should happen to deprive me of my fun, it will spell the end of Konohagakure," his voice floated out after he had already faded within the smoke, and when it cleared he was gone.

Her body continued to heave and it was several minutes before she mustered the strength to move. After another moment taken to catch her breath she jumped from one branch to another in the direction of the tower. She had to warn the Hokage of this danger but for a few moments wondered which female Genin had received the Ten no Juin.

Anko also wondered if he planned to mark the Uchiha boy as well, and what his plans were for the two of them. She shook her head to clear it, since she knew there would be time to think of that later, but for now, she had to move.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sakura yawned as she sat up after Naruto had shaken her awake. Her teal eyes shifted to the blonde that was moving to lie against the ground between the tree roots that she and Sasuke had been laying. They had to stay close together since an enemy could attack at any moment. She saw the advantage of the position, since there would only be one way to attack but that also meant that if they were trapped, there'd be no escape for them.

The pink haired kunoichi splashed her face with water to wake up and sat in seiza style, but realized that this would be a mistake and instead leaned against the tree trunk with her legs spread. That way, her legs wouldn't go numb and thus slow her reaction in case she had to jump up quickly.

She had tied her long locks into a manageable ponytail but reached out to push a rouge strand behind her ear. Over the last few weeks she had started to realize how annoying long hair could be and had considered cutting it but couldn't make up her mind about. Before now she had let it grow because during the Academy she'd heard that Sasuke liked girls with long hair. Now she wondered how anyone could have figured that out since the raven haired boy hardly ever spoke to anyone and had no friends. So divulging that kind of information to anyone seemed odd.

The Haruno girl chuckled and toyed with the end of her ponytail as she shook her head. Haku, whose name had been changed to Take, had made her see that trying to get Sasuke to like her shouldn't be her only reason for being a shinobi. It was childish and could put her teammates in danger if she didn't start to take being a ninja more seriously. Anyway, she had noticed that there was a dark part within the Uchiha that seemed out of reach.

Lately, her thoughts had been turning more and more toward her once best friend Yamanaka Ino. The prospect of being Sasuke's girlfriend had torn their friendship apart and wondered if the crush on the dark haired boy had ever been worth it.

She remembered that when they had been young, Ino had been the one that had given her the courage to stop hiding behind her mane of hair. If it hadn't been for the blonde haired girl, she might have turned out much differently, and then her silly crush on Sasuke had caused them to become rivals, enemies. Sakura frowned and fastened her eyes on the surrounding darkness before her as her thoughts continued to lead her back to the past.

Ino had been kind to her when she was teased, had defended her from bullies and had snubbed Sasuke as being arrogant. Then the pink haired girl had expressed interest in him and had later found out that she also liked in Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura paused and her features twisted in concentration as she remembered that Ino had never said she liked him, but had started to fight with her for him at every turn. For a second she wondered if the girl had ever really fancied the Uchiha prodigy since she had never shown that she liked him and only did so when Sakura had expressed interest in him. The kunoichi went over the encounters that she had had with the girl that she had once considered her best friend.

There were three figures watching from the cover of the trees as she seemed to space out with her thoughts. They had been watching ever since she'd switched with the blonde and she looked distracted instead of paying attention to her surroundings. A grin split the features of the spiky haired boy and he held back a chuckle at the girl's stupidity that was sure to cost the others' their lives. "Go now," he said quietly from their position in the bushes.

The kunoichi was distracted from her thoughts as she heard a rustling noise coming from the bushes. She turned slowly to face that direction as she shook slightly and was met with the sight of the three sound ninja. They had been the ones that had tried to attack Kabuto, but had been thoroughly defeated by that cell from Suna. "Well, it looks like you have been working hard to guard these two for nothing," hissed the short haired boy. "Now why don't you wake up Sasuke-kun so you we can fight him?"

Sakura stood and lifted a kunai as she shook her head. "You won't hurt either of my teammates," she said with a determined voice. The Oto-nin smirked and the bandaged one stepped forward.

"I beg to differ," he muttered as he lifted his sleeve to reveal the strange device on his arm. All three ninja jumped toward them as the pink haired girl grinned and cut a length of nin-wire beside her. The three enemy ninja were shocked as a log came toward them but they easily avoided it and lunged at the shocked kunoichi and attacked all three of them.

'_Zankuha!'_ The jutsu tore through the ground and slammed into all three Konoha-nin. Their bodies quickly burst into smoke much to the Sound shinobi's shock.

Zaku cried out as he was knocked to the side by a blonde blur and his teammates were slammed by black and crimson figures. When they landed it was to see that it was the Uchiha team.

Naruto folded his arms behind his head wit a grin. "Didn't think we'd sense you?" he asked them, and it was obvious that he'd used Kage Bunshin to replicate their entire team. "You're not so tough."

Dosu stood with a frowned that was covered by his bandages as he observed the Genin team. The Uchiha was wearing his white shorts and dark blue shirt with the fan on the back. Naruto had opted to change his attire a bit for the Chunin exam, although he could have sworn that he'd entered the forest with his usual orange. The kunoichi had on black pants with a crimson shirt with that ended half way to touching her elbows.

"You weren't exactly subtle," the girl commented as a squirrel ran around her shoulder and down her arm before sprinting off. She held up an exploding note in her gloved hand which she promptly extinguished before it went off.

"Well, it seems we might have underestimated you," Zaku commented as he straightened. His teammates lined besides him as they stared the other team down. "Why not see what your team is capable of?"

The Uchiha smirked and shifted into a fighting stance. Naruto grinned beside him and did the same, and Sakura flicked a strand of her pink hair before spreading her feet. "Sounds like fun."

Sakura was watching the kunoichi from the enemy team and knew that she would face her as her male teammates eyed the other boys from the Sound team. When they had first became a team their teamwork had been terrible, but after the mission to the country of waves had changed them all.

She knew that they mostly did the fighting while she assessed the situation, but she didn't want to be left behind anymore. More and more, she had started to realize that in the world of shinobi, kunoichi weren't as strong as male ninja. The thought made Sakura's frown deepen but through her previous experiences, this theory had been proven correct in all instances.

"Naruto, there's something strange about the device on that guy's arm," Sasuke muttered to the blonde at his side. The other didn't turn around but gave a slight nod to indicate that he was listening. The black haired boy knew that before Naruto hadn't been the best ninja to have at his side, but he had realized that he'd started to rely more on him. The Uzumaki had become an even better shinobi than anyone would have thought possible and he was only improving.

Naruto's blue eyes narrowed on the said shinobi they were discussing, appearing to be a mummy by all appearances. His gaze centered on the device that he had on his arm, and wondered what its function was. It was best to listen to Sasuke's advice since he'd been closer to Kabuto when the Oto-nin had attacked.

"Don't worry, we can take these guys," Naruto whispered with a grin plastered on his face, although this one looked slightly maniacal. He went to do Kage Bunshin but felt something strange with his Chakra flow and instead of making the intended ten, he only made five. _'What the hell?'_

The fight started and he was distracted from his train of thought as he blocked an attack from his opponent. "So, what do they call you?" he asked with a cheeky grin as he pushed against their interlocked weapons. The other four Naruto clones hovered around them for the moment.

"The names' Zaku," he responded as he jumped back and unleashed the decapitating jutsu once again. It slammed into two Naruto clones and they disappeared with a puff of smoke. The real blonde cursed as he jumped away with his remaining bunshin and frowned as he landed. It would be hard to fight him short range with that attack of his, so he knew his best option was long range.

'_Thank Kami for Haku's training,'_ he thought with a grin. He extracted a shuriken in each hand and jumped out of the way of the jutsu and then flung them at his opponent.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had immediately taken on the bandaged Sound-nin and had soon realized just how strong and dangerous the device on his arm was. He'd been hit twice with it and knew why Kabuto had thrown up in the classroom, and had almost hurled himself.

A wince crossed his face when he felt a sting and blood ran from his left ear. He wiped it away and frowned. This was bad. His attacks were getting past his defenses and affecting his senses. Sasuke glanced at Naruto and noticed that he was having the same difficulty with the boy's jutsu. He turned back around and lifted the kunai in front of him and slipped into a defensive stance, but knew it would be difficult defending against that strange device.

Sakura blocked the kunai with hers and quickly twisted her weapon free and jumped back. She formed seals and performed Bunshin no Jutsu and three lunged at her. Kin flung several senbon and the clones were dispelled and the real one faltered. The Oto kunoichi took this opportunity and Sakura would feel cruel fingers grasp her long strands of hair.

There was a malicious grin spreading over the sound ninja's features as she looked down at her. "Your hair is so much softer and bouncier than mine," she commented. "You're a disgrace to shinobi by fussing with your looks when you should be training." A snort left her as the hold tightened painfully on Sakura's hair. "Zaku, Dosu," she called out. "Kill one of her little heart throbs in front of this little love sick pig."

Zaku grinned as he dispelled a few clones with his jutsu. He lifted his hands and the technique came from the holes that were on his palms. The devices implanted within his hands and arms made the jutsu, which had a devastating effect if you were hit by it. "With pleasure," he commented as he withdrew a kunai and threw it at the real Naruto.

The blonde was distracted as he glimpsed Sakura at the other kunoichi's mercy and he winced as the weapon hit its mark. It embedded itself within his shoulder as he hissed in pain. Upon stumbling back, he heard Sakura's warning and he dodged wildly to the side to avoid the slicing air. He landed on his side with a painful thud and rolled out of the way as the Oto-nin came down with a kunai in hand.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had activated his Sharingan and avoided the other as much as possible but he got hit a couple times. Even when he avoided the hit, the amplified sound still got him. The only thing he was grateful for was that his eyes helped him avoid the other as best as he could. Using shuriken, he threw them at Dosu, and when he blocked as he knew the other would, he took advantage of his blind spot.

His kick counted as he flew to the side and he followed, a kunai gripped in his hand. He intended to break or at least crack that device. However, he was hit with his sound attack as he darted to the side to avoid most of it. Sasuke clenched his teeth as he felt his ears pulse painfully and knew he had to come up with something as he stumbled a bit. The attacks were starting to affect his equilibrium.

Sakura gripped the dirt around one of her hands and closed her eyes at the painful hold the other kunoichi had on her hair. She had to do something! But she was sure that she'd be no match against this stronger opponent. Even then, she knew that she couldn't sit here and do nothing. She was tired of sitting on the side lines while the others fought. When she moved, the fingers increased their hold as she winced. "Don't move," the other girl growled. First things first, though.

The hold on the kunai in her hand tightened and the other laughed at her attempts. "Your tricks won't work." Her fingers pulled harshly on her mane of hair.

The Haruno female almost grinned as she tilted her head to the side to look at her. "You think so?" she asked. Then she lifted her hand and the edge of the kunai sliced through the long strands of her hair, and thus releasing her.

She heard the Oto girl exclaim in shock as she rose up, a new defiance within her suddenly. Since the beginning she had thought herself a full fledged ninja, proud to be an equal as she trailed after her teammates, crushing on Sasuke and scolding Naruto. Then Haku had seen the error of her ways. She had stood back and let her teammates risk their lives to protect her, when she should have been watching their backs.

Her eyes narrowed on her two teammates as she brought her hands to form seals. "No more," she muttered, blinking back tears. _'Now it's my turn to fight.'_

Tsuchi Kin gasped in surprise, so she froze for several seconds as the girl in front of her made seals. When she moved to slam into her, the shorter girl's body turned into a log. _'Kawarimi no Jutsu,'_ she pondered quietly, as her eyes darted back and forth. Her teammates were busy with the two boys and so she knew that she'd have to deal with the girl. _'There!'_ Coming around, she deflected the two shuriken shot at her, sending them back to the girl. They impaled into her but she changed into another log as Kin smirked. _'Kawarimi again. She's a one trick pony.'_

Sasuke coughed up blood, knowing that the sound waves were affecting him from the inside. He had to do something and soon, but he was still a bit winded from Orochimaru's attack. As he jumped back, narrowly being hit by the attack, he formed seals. _'Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu!'_ The fire shot at the other and Dosu burst into flames before he could move. His eyes narrowed as he saw that it was a log, meaning he used a substitution jutsu and then he was jumping back to avoid the boy. The sound waves ripped through the ground where he had just been standing and he frowned. It seemed that he had increased his level of attacks.

Naruto cursed as he formed a seal, _'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!'_ making five more clones to appear that promptly launched themselves at the older boy. _'I have to think of something to get within range to take this guy out!' _Naruto mused, and anyone would have been surprised to know that the boy was actually pretty smart despite his more than idiotic appearance. He was just a bit passionate about things at times. It wasn't his fault if people took that to mean he was a fool. When Sasuke had told him to run, he had been confused since he had never known the Uchiha to run away from a fight. Even knowing that the Kusa-nin had been stronger than him, he had rushed at him all those times because he was trying to protect Sasuke and Sakura, and then Eizan. He knew the risks, but he couldn't help but be brash when people he cared about were in danger.

However, Naruto knew this was one of those times that he had to think of some sort of strategy. The guy wasn't that fast, but it wouldn't be a good idea to get hit by the technique that appeared to be his main point of attack. If he was able to disable his arms, then he would have a pretty fair shot at beating him.

He distracted Zaku with a clone and devised a plan similar to the one that he'd used against Zabuza when they had been trying to free Kakashi-sensei from the water prison. Naruto knew that he had to do it at a precise moment where he dodged it. If Zaku used the jutsu then the henge would take off and he wouldn't have another chance.

The blonde took the demon wind shuriken in his hand and his clone twirled it to extend the weapon. There seemed to be a three second leeway between the times he used the Zankuha. When Zaku did his attack on two more clones, Naruto threw the massive shuriken and pulled the wire taunt that was attached to it.

Zaku turned, saw the incoming projectile and dodged to the left as he had expected. The bunshin pulled the wire to bring the weapon around. The real Naruto transformed back to normal and landed behind him. He kicked the other ninja against the back as he stumbled forward, the blonde took that moment to grab hold of the startled boy's arms and pull them back.

A smug grin was seen on his features as he brought the other to his knees. Naruto knew that it was harsh what he was about to do, but he had take this guy out and besides, he was a ninja. "Looky what I caught," he muttered almost viciously and placed his foot against his back and snapped his arms back. The sickening sound of his arms breaking could be heard as the boy yelled before falling forward. Then he promptly knocked the sound ninja out.

Sasuke heard the scream but resigned himself to concentrate on his opponent. He had to beat him and hope that the blonde hadn't fallen against the Oto-nin. _'That bonehead better not get himself killed... or we won't be able to pass this exam,'_ he growled as he kicked Dosu on his side, causing the Oto shinobi to stumble forward. He wasted no time to impale a kunai against the back of his shoulder and he felt the blood hit his face. The older boy jumped away and turned to face the Uchiha with an expression of pain. He pulled out the kunai and threw it aside. Things were drawing to a close.

Sakura felt he kunai impale her right shoulder and left thigh as she came down with kunai in hand on the other girl and aimed one knee at her throat. They both fell heavily to the ground and Kin blocked with her own weapon as the kunoichi landed on top. Her knee hit the ground besides the other's head since she'd moved to avoid it or it would have crushed her windpipe.

Kin had underestimated this girl. Her chakra control was well beyond the Genin level. Their weapons were locked in place but the Sound-nin's strength won out and she flicked her wrist, making both kunai fly to the side to embed in the trunk of a nearby tree. She punched the pink haired ninja, and when it connected, she fell off. When the weight was removed from her, she flipped back onto her feet as she faced the other who had already straightened.

The dark haired kunoichi glanced quickly at her teammates and cursed when she saw that Zaku had fallen and Dosu was having a hard time defeating the Uchiha. She knew that she'd gotten stuck fighting the weakest of the team but she was still better than she'd anticipated. Kin extracted senbon and threw them at Sakura, and used bells to distract her while utilizing others to hit their target.

The Haruno winced when a needle embedded into her shoulder and leg as she stumbled back. She winced as she removed the senbon and lifted her teal gaze to meet ebony eyes. Sakura knew that she couldn't beat her, but she only had to stall her long enough for Sasuke to defeat the kunoichi's other teammate. She'd been more than a bit pleased to realize that Naruto had defeated his opponent before the Uchiha. The blonde had turned in her direction, but she'd shaken her head. This was her fight.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan felt agony grip her entire body as her eyes fluttered open and her mind went blank as her lips parted with a scream. Her body curled in on itself and her hands clutched her head as the seal enveloped her. The two girls were immediately at her side but she couldn't hear their voices calling to her.

She'd held on for a long time and now her body gave way under the strength of the Ten no Juin. Her very blood seemed to boil within her veins but she couldn't move, only scream as horrific images dominated her sight.

Amane held the other girl down as she convulsed uncontrollably, calling her name urgently but she didn't respond and continued to scream in pain. "What's wrong with her?" she shouted over the cries at Iwane. The other was completely pale as she stared grimly at Eizan, shaking her head.

"He bit her," she muttered and the wind user almost didn't hear her. Amane's face twisted into a frown since the earth user hadn't told her this, and her frown turned into an angered glare but she said nothing. It took the both of them to hold the smaller girl down as she continued to scream and trash around. "Her skin is so hot."

The taller girl moved to shift her hold to get a better grip on her shorter companion. "We can't take her to the tower like this," she growled. That was the farthest thing from her mind right now though and she couldn't hide the worried tone in her voice. Iwane had told her what Eizan had said about needing to reach the third part of the exam, and knew that they had to wait until she recovered. "Hold her!"

After almost half an hour the other girl's screaming had died down to groans, and then whimpers before she had finally passed out again. They had dragged her away from their previous location since staying there would only result in more problems. Someone could have heard all the commotion and might come looking.

"She has a fever," Iwane commented as her other teammate returned to the clearing. Amane had been covering up their trail as the Erizawa had laid out the fire user in a comfortable position, although it was hard to do while on the ground. They had to make sure they weren't followed while one of their members was unconscious.

Amane threw a canteen filled with water from the river at her side and brought out a few bandages to use as a makeshift compress. "Here," she muttered and held them out to her. She was still upset that Iwane hadn't told her that the man had bitten Eizan, but she also knew that it was unimportant at the moment. They had to be alert in case they were attacked.

The girl took the bandages and soaked them with the water from the canteen. She placed them on their fallen comrade's forehead and glanced quickly at her. "I'm sorry," Iwane finally replied. The other grunted a response and she sighed in relief. At times, few words were required for them to understand one another. Amane knew that the earth user wasn't one to give out apologies so easily and knew her words to be sincere. "What now?"

The Itagaki leaned against the tree trunk that was shielding them from view to the east and shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted, running a hand through her dark brown hair. Her fingers combed the strands and the already loose braid unraveled completely, and the long tresses came to frame her face and now one wasn't able to confuse her for a boy. "We have to wait until she recovers." She glanced away as she frowned. "I've placed traps that will alert us if anyone comes too close, but we will be at a disadvantage if anyone decides to attack Eizan and us at the same time."

A dark frown creased Iwane's features at the other girl's words. Before she could respond, however, she noticed the other girl tense and place a finger to her lips. She silently signaled her and the other nodded. Someone had tripped the wire that alerted Amane of someone approaching. They straightened and moved in front of the unconscious girl, and respectively withdrew kunai. Suddenly, dozens of black figures started to rise out of the ground and they saw the Ame symbol on their headbands. "Kuso," Iwane cursed as she lifted the weapon and fell into a defensive stance. "They're Bunshin, but there's something strange about them."

Amane was right beside her, protecting the girl stretched out behind them. "They're probably not real, since that trap was a few feet away." The kunai was lifted in front of her as she shifted into a defensive stance as well. "Most likely an illusion so it'll be no use attacking them with jutsu."

One of the black figures threw a kunai and Iwane deflected it instinctively as she gasped. It was real. "Those bastards must be attacking from a safe distance." A smirk that was neither humorous, nor cocky spread over her face. "One of them is holding up the illusion while another attacks accordingly to the clone's movements."

The wind specialist blocked a few more kunai and frowned. "We need to come up with a plan." She quickly jumped to the side and blocked a projectile that had been aimed at the girl behind them. Her anger flared fiercely but forcefully calmed herself down. "Now."

Iwane nodded and concentrated as her brain worked out a plan. While she might have been considered to be on the lesser scale of intelligence, she could be quite good at strategy when she set her mind to it. She frowned as she was forced to block another round of kunai. To make this work, they would have to thoroughly distract the enemy. Her hands moved rapidly to convey her plan to her teammate.

A smirk formed on her face as she prepared to make seals. "Cover me," Amane muttered and moved to form the seal for Bunshin no Jutsu just as three kunai shot toward her. They slammed into her chest before she could finish. Her body fell back, a cry leaving her lips.

Iwane gasped as she turned toward her fallen comrade, emerald eyes wide with horror. **"Amane-kun!"** she screamed, and winced as a kunai nicked her arm. She turned back around and cursed loudly, and formed seals before slamming her open palms against the ground. There was a barrage of kunai coming at them that she'd never be able to block.

'_Doton, Doroku Gaeshi!'_ The large wall of earth rose before her, Eizan's still unconscious figure and Amane's crumpled form. It was effective as the many kunai impaled into the solid structure, but she knew that it wouldn't hold against a hard or drilling puncture. She doubted that those cowards would show themselves long enough to do that type of attack.

'_Sons of bitches are waiting until I become too tired or injured to defend while they wait patiently at a safe distance,'_ she mentally growled. If it continued like this she knew that she'd soon be overwhelmed and there was no way she could flee. She'd stay and fight, upholding the vow they had made to each other, even if it cost her life.

'_Might be some fun to see what's after death,'_ she thought sarcastically. She knew that Amane would have glared at her and told her that was a stupid thing to say. Eizan on the other hand wouldn't have hesitated to knock her into the ground with a chakra infused punch. Iwane grinned to herself, despite the situation. So far, she was the only one hard-headed enough to take those hits.

She took a moment to crouch down and lean heavily against the solid wall to contemplate her next move. The Erizawa knew that soon it would be all over, but she had to fight them off for as long as possible. Taking a moment to form seals, she remembered that Enoki had refused to teach them this jutsu at first. It was only in the last month of their training that they had been able to acquire the seals to perform it and she planned on this being her first use of it.

Iwane took in a deep breath and jumped on top of the wall of earth as she formed the last seal. _'__Kaze no Yaiba!'_ The wind jutsu tore through the center of the clones and eliminated a few of them. She withdrew a few kunai and threw them forward so they hit the three shuriken that were sent in her direction. As they cancelled one another out the kunoichi flipped into the fray.

She knew that it was safe for her to leave her spot since the wall blocked their frontal attacks. So, she started to tear into a few, and cursed when they exploded like water only to reform again. The others hadn't reformed since the blade of wind had destroyed too much of the body.

Even then, she continued to fight and her eyes allowed her to see most of the projectiles in time to avoid or block them. There was simply too many, however, and she winced as a shuriken slammed into her shoulder. She stumbled back and turned a glare on the black figures. _'Now what?'_ she wondered as she was surrounded.

The three Genin from Amegakure watched the battle unfold beneath them a few feet away. It had been easy enough to take out one of them and now the other was becoming tired and wouldn't be able to hold of their attacks for too long. Luck had been on their side when they happened to come upon this Suna team that already had an injured member. Now all they had to do was continue the assault until they wore the last member down and they'd be able to seize their scroll.

All three were wearing beige body suits that resembled straight jackets and breathing masks for each member in case they had to tread water, since they were from Amegakure. Their rain headbands were displayed on their heads and most of their faces were hidden with bindings.

Kagari had both eyes covered and he had his hands up to hold the Genjutsu of the clones up, while Oboro and Mubi concentrated on a specified area of clones to synchronize their attacks.

Oboro's both eyes were visible and were locked on the single Suna ninja jumping into the crowd of bunshin. He threw a few kunai and winced as he placed a hand against his shoulder. The leaf-nin had wounded his shoulder earlier and he was still suffering from the wound. After taking this team out he'd make sure to track the younger boy down and make him pay for the embarrassment and pain he suffered.

"Soon, we'll move in to attack," he said to them quietly. "Then we take out the Konoha team."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," a voice hissed behind them. The tone was like ice as the three involuntarily shuddered. Before either could move Kagari gasped as his hands undid and moved to his neck as he felt something impale through the back of his neck and break through his throat. A gurgling sound that might have been an attempt to scream came from him as blood trailed from around the mask he wore. He was dead before he fell from the tree branch they had been in.

The other two jumped to the side wildly to avoid kunai, and didn't notice when the illusion fell so the clones disappeared. As he moved, Oboro realized that it was the teammate that they believed had been killed. He knew now that it had been a trick to distract them, but now it was too late seeing as one of their members was dead. That meant that they wouldn't be able to continue with the exam.

'_To hell with this exam,'_ he thought fiercely, stopping a good distance away. The only thought on his mind at the moment was killing at least one of these three, and that way they wouldn't be able to pass the exam either. He knew that his best bet would be the unconscious teammate they had been trying to protect. _'He won't even know he's died. The poor chump will just continue sleeping.'_

He turned to his Mubi and motioned for him to keep the others busy while he went in for the kill. He nodded before jumping out from his hiding place. It was unclear whether he would survive against the Suna-nin, but Oboro didn't care since he was merely a decoy.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sakura panted hard as she locked stares with her adversary, but knew it was no use. The girl was stronger than her and she didn't have anything else up her sleeve, but she still refused to lower her guard. She stood her ground with a kunai in hand and still in a defensive stance.

She'd known from the start that she had spent too much time chasing after Sasuke and wouldn't be able to pass this exam, but she had come either way. It had been easy for her to figure out that only three man teams could participate in the Chunin exam and had thus known that her other two teammates wouldn't have been able to participate. A frown twisted her features when she remembered Kakashi's words. They weren't true, not anymore. She had joined not only for Sasuke's sake, but for Naruto's as well. The blonde, more than anyone, had wanted to take the exam.

A sigh almost left her lips but instead she straightened her body and met her opponent's stare. It was the same thing now. She couldn't fail or they wouldn't be able to advance to the third part of the exam. Sakura refused to concede to the Oto-nin.

"What's the matter, getting tired?" the kunoichi from sound asked in a mocking tone. It caused a fresh wave of anger to wash over her as she clenched her hands tighter around the kunai. She was playing with her, Sakura knew this yet there was no way out of this situation.

"Urusei," she growled as a strand of her uneven pink hair fell into her eyes. Her hand hastily pushed it away and at that moment the other girl lunged toward her. Sakura steeled herself for what was too come, and only hoped that she wouldn't die out here in the Forest of Death. As the dark haired kunoichi lifted the kunai to attack, she took in a deep breath and lifted her own weapon to defend.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1.** Onegai: **please (pleading)  
2. **Sen'eijashu:** _lit._ "Hidden Shadow Snake Hand"  
3. **Sojasosai no Jutsu: **_lit. _"Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique"  
4. **Zankuha: **_lit._ "Decapitating Air Wave"  
5.** Kawarimi no Jutsu: **_lit._ "Body Replacement Technique"  
6.** Demon wind shuriken: **is a large shuriken nearly a meter in diameter and is collapsible for easy storage  
7.** Doton, Doroku Gaeshi: **_lit._ "Earth Release: Earth Shore Return"  
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_**End Chapter Fifteen**_


	17. Fight toward the Tower

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** This chapter is dedicated solely to LON, since without her I wouldn't have ever finished! Thanks! This chapter is rather long but these things need to happen, to build up. Although some of it is being built up for the sequel as well. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Sixteen: Fight toward the Tower**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Mubi cried out as the kunoichi's blade pierced his body and he fell back. The fight hadn't been as easy as she had anticipated since the shinobi had been a Genjutsu specialist. Amane growled as the body she had just impaled through the chest disintegrated. Another bunshin.

Her eyes closed as she heard, rather than saw, as he moved to attack Iwane. The other girl was defending Eizan since the second enemy ninja had tried to kill her while his teammate had distracted them. Amane came between the two and the sound of their kunai crashing resounded through the trees surrounding them.

They jumped apart and she slid several centimeters before coming to a complete stop, and her weapon still lifted to defend. Only his left eye was visible but most of his face was covered by his air mask and her ears perked as his breathing changed pitch. She didn't have the best eyesight, but she could hear every single beat of his heart if she concentrated and the shifting of his feet. When they shifted next, she moved with him.

He dashed left and she followed him. They met several times in the air and on the ground, and only the sound of their clashing weapons gave away their location. It was still dark on the ground, but as the sun rose higher with time, the light would start to filter further past the dense branches.

During her fight, her opponent had managed to slice through her long hair. She had ducked under an attack, but her hair hadn't been quick enough and the blade had cleanly cut through. The severed strands had scattered along the ground around them as they continued to fight. Amane hadn't paid it too much attention but now realized that it was almost to her shoulders, just a bit shorter.

The four still capable ninja continued to fight and in the mist of Amane's battle, she heard Iwane cry out. It struck a cord within her chest and she made the mistake of turning away from her opponent. Her teammate's slumped body came into her line of sight, and a heart beat later, pain exploded at her side.

She had missed the Ame-nin's oncoming attack and a pained gasp escaped her lips as a shudder passed through her. Even as she felt warm blood run down her side, since it had hit just under her wire mesh shirt, her obsidian orbs hadn't strayed from Iwane's direction. Amane didn't know what had happened, but there were several kunai littering her body, which was spread on the ground, and there was another bloodied kunai gripped in her opponents' hand. She looked dead and Amane was too far to tell.

'_Miwako!'_ The rain-nin tried to jam the kunai deeper and her hands unconsciously came to wrap around the sharpened edge of the weapon. As he tried to push, she increased her grip to hold it back, but the edge sliced open her flesh and blood ran around her fingers and down her wrists.

A scream tore from her mouth when he pulled back instead and twisted the kunai to increase the damage done, and the edges ravaged her hands in the process. She felt a kick connect with her legs and then she was falling. As she fell, her eyes were on her fallen comrade once more and the blood stained kunai in the Ame-nin's hand.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
"_Are you my friend or not?" a voice whined behind six-year-old Itagaki Akemi, and a sigh left her lips. She collected her notes in her small hands and stuffed them into a note book which she clutched against her chest._

"_You already know the answer to that," she responded in her usual quiet, almost shy voice. She left the classroom and quickly walked down the hallway, but paused in the doorway as she glanced at the darkening sky. It actually looked like it was going to rain and they hadn't had any in too long so it'd be welcome. The young girl only wished she had known and she'd have brought an umbrella._

_As predicted, the rain came as she hurried down the street and she stopped to make sure her notes wouldn't become soaked and ruined. Suddenly, the rain stopped hitting her and she blinked in confusion before glancing away from the slightly damp notebook in her hand. The object of her recent headache was grinning at her and was raised on her tip toes to hold up a red umbrella and keep both of them dry._

"_We may not be friends, but I'd be very mean to let you get all wet!" she chirped happily. Her ebony hair was tied in two short pigtails, and Akemi could see a gap missing where a tooth had once been. She knew all about the girl's rowdy behavior, and wondered if it had been lost during one of her many quarrels with the boys in their class. She was a strange girl._

_The rain was coming down lightly and wouldn't last too long, since it never did in Kaze no Kuni. Her mouth opened to ask why she would help her but the smaller girl grabbed her by the wrist and started to pull her along. Akemi had to run at her pace to stay dry._

"_You're strange, you know that?" she yelled at the girl. However, she couldn't help but feel the same excitement that was coming from the other as they ran down the wet street. Their feet landed in puddles and sent water every where and reflected the dying sunlight so they sparkled like stars._

_Miwako turned to look at her and gave that trademark grin of hers. It had never been directed at her before but she realized why people seemed so drawn to her. Her emerald eyes danced with glee as they met with her dark ones._

"_I know!" She laughed and turned back around, still pulling her along. Akemi felt a smile curving her lips as she matched her stride as the water soaked the bottom of her skirt, but for the moment all she cared about was keeping up with this strange, yet exhilarating creature known as Erizawa Miwako.  
_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Haruno Sakura coughed as she felt the punch nail her against the abdomen and she stumbled back and fell on her ass. The other girl loomed over her and withdrew a kunai but before she could attack again a cry escaped her lips as she was knocked to the side. She lifted her eyes to see the Uzumaki standing there and he quickly helped her stand.

She sighed wearily and accepted the support he offered with his hand against her forearm. A quick glance at the Uchiha revealed that he'd finally taken down Dosu but there were scratches and blood dotting his face and body, but otherwise unharmed. Naruto didn't look seriously injured either and she was relieved.

"Arigato, Naruto-kun," she muttered and moved away from his hold to stand by herself. She pushed back an uneven strand of hair and glanced around at the destruction and then moved to search her opponent as the others did the same. It was Sasuke that turned up an Earth scroll. "Good, now we need to recover another Heaven scroll."

Sasuke nodded and glanced at Naruto. "You're not injured?" he asked the blonde who quickly shook his head. "Sakura?" The kunoichi also gave a negative answer. "Good. We'll move out before they decided to wake up."

Sakura took the scroll from the Sharingan user and smirked when he glared at her. She wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek as she glanced at Naruto, whom was also giving her a questioning look. "I think I should hang onto it," she said and stuffed it into her pouch. "It might give us a slight advantage since the enemy might not expect the weakest member to have it."

Naruto stretched his arms a bit and nodded. He'd noticed that the Haruno female hadn't been acting like a Sasuke chaser since Haku had come to Konoha and he was glad, since that meant he was spared a beating whenever he insulted the Uchiha. "Hai, that seems like a good idea. Now, we better leave before these guys regain consciousness, dattebayo," he said with a yawn.

Sasuke couldn't argue with that way of thinking, and shrugged. "Alright then, let's move out and keep a close knit formation," he instructed and was glad that Naruto did as he was told with no arguments. He had to remind himself to thank Haku the next time he saw the older teen.

They left the camp after making sure that no signs of their presence had been left behind. There were still four days left to recover the Heaven scroll and they couldn't waste a single moment of it.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A grin was seen spreading over Anzai's handsome features as he lifted the scroll to show his two teammates and then he tossed it over to Take. "See, what'd I tell ya?" he cockily commented. It earned him a glare from the kunoichi but he merely shrugged it off. His slightly tanned hands flicked away a strand of his dark brown hair, and the sunlight caught in the natural blonde highlights and his hair seemed to glow. He sighed and walked over to them. "So, shall we move on to the tower now?"

Haku, or Take, stuffed the Heaven scroll in his pouch where the other one was stored. He pushed back a long strand of his now shoulder length dark brown hair behind his ear and turned light brown eyes on his slightly shorter team member.

"Maybe we should wait and rest before continuing on?" Haku was wearing a black, long sleeved form fitting shirt that went to the throat, and this was worn underneath a dark blue, short sleeved haori with a loose obi of a lighter shade around his waist. Also, he wore matching umanori hakama, and instead of the zori that he had always worn, he now had on the blue issue ninja sandals. Around his forehead, he now wore the Konoha hitai-ate instead of his Kirigakure one which he had stashed away where he was sure no one would ever find.

He was still getting use to his name and at times he wouldn't answer when called. Haku lifted his gaze when the younger female said his name and he inclined his head to indicate that he was listening even if he wasn't really. They were arguing on whether to proceed to the tower or rest for a while before doing so.

Moments later, the sound of a fist hitting a skull resounded within Haku's ears and he sighed. It seemed that Sanako had gotten her way yet again. It was strange that the brash boy could be pushed around by his "younger" sister, but he guessed that he allowed it since he cared a lot for his twin sister. "So, are we resting Anzai-san?" Haku asked.

The mention boy gave a frustrated groan as he rubbed his sore head and plopped down where he had been standing. "Shut up, Take," he grumbled, shooting dirty looks at his sister. The girl, which looked a lot like him, only gave him a sweet smile. She turned amethyst eyes to her now "older" brother, since Haku had been adopted into their family, but he was actually more of a friend to them than a sibling.

From what their mother had told him, they had once had another boy within their Genin team. She hadn't told him the name but only that all three had been in the Academy together. Then he'd died during a C rank mission that had gone horribly wrong and it was one of the reasons that Anzai resented Haku. He and the other had been best friends and he hadn't expected the boy to be replaced so quickly after his death.

"Hai, we're going to rest but I don't think it should be for too long," she muttered and glanced around. "Do you think we should set up traps before we rest?" She bit her bottom lip in worry and unearthed a rock with the edge of her blue sandal. Her headband was fastened around her right bicep today since she didn't like to leave it any one position, and the same thing could be said about her shoulder length light brown hair. That day, she had it in a bun pinned at the base of her head. She was wearing loose, light green pants that came to end just at the ankles and her holsters secured by bandages at her left thigh. The beige shirt had no sleeves, but there were light green arm warmers that ended to loop around only her thumbs.

Anzai sighed as he ruffled his already wild, jaw length hair and stretched his arms before leaning against the root of the huge tree they had come to stop by. The seat of his black pants was getting dirty, but he didn't seem to care that much. He adjusted the pouch at his back to a more comfortable position and his holsters at his right thigh as well. It seemed that while he had protested taking the break, he also seemed to be taking advantage of it and rested his right ankle against his right knee. He was using his arms as a make shift pillow and when he did that, the leaf headband shifted at his forehead slightly.

Haku's eyes flicked toward him to observe the other boy and noticed that his blood red shirt with its fishnet long sleeves had ridden up to expose his taunt stomach. He found himself staring for a moment before looking away when Anzai turned his cobalt eyes in his direction. "No, we won't be here that long," Haku commented and moved to take a seat on the ground.

He withdrew a small water canteen from his pouch and drank from it before replacing it. They distributed the rations that had been collected during the first day among them and ate in silence. Soon, they would move for the tower but they would have to be cautious. Those that had also already secured their scrolls would be heading that way and if that were true then they might be attacked. Many would want to reduce the number of teams for the third portion of the exam, so they'd have to be alert.

After an hour, Haku stood and dusted off the seat of his hakama and turned to his two team members. They nodded once and were off again, jumping up into the trees and heading deeper into the forest. It was already dawn but the surrounding area was still dark.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Iwane growled as she lifted her weapon and narrowed sharp emerald eyes on her opponent. She had intercepted him when he had made a move to attack Eizan and she could only thank Kami that she had been able to interfere in time. They were much too close to her position still and had to alternate between fending off an attack on herself and the other girl so it was a bit tough. She found herself doing as Eizan had told her, and tapping into the speed that she had never tried to use before.

"You can't defend him forever," the Ame shinobi sneered and lunged at her. She parried his attack as their kunai met over and over again in the next few minutes. Iwane didn't know how Amane's battle was going with the other ninja and she didn't dare take off her eyes from her own opponent.

"Yes I can," she growled, not even bothering to correct him about Eizan being a girl. She lifted her weapon to eye level and moved to attack this time and once again their kunai clashed several times before they jumped apart.

A smirk was seen on the rain ninja's face and she wondered what he was planning but he was attacking her again and she was forced to abandon her train of thought to defend. Then it happened as he moved back and flung several kunai in Eizan's direction and the distance between them as well.

She cursed and knew that at the speed the weapons were traveling that if she moved to help her, she'd get hit by the kunai and when she fell, the other projectiles would hit Eizan. Making a split second decision, she jumped up to trying to avoid as many kunai as possible, and quickly went through hand seals in mid air. She came down just at the edge of the kunai's range, since she had to be as close as possible.

Her open palms slammed against the ground as she landed and a cry escaped her lips when she felt three kunai impale her body. The wall of earth rose in front of the Ashikaga girl and blocked the weapons as the Iwane hit the ground.

She lay there for several moments as her opponent walked up to her. He had a bloodied kunai gripped in his hand, which he had used to nick her arm during their battle. Iwane found that she couldn't move without pain shooting through every inch of her body. The side of her right leg had been pierced through by the blade, and so had the right side of her abdomen and her right bicep. She was only glad that her left arm had been spared where she had the mark that showed where her alliance lay.

The sound of a scream reached her ears and she felt her heart skip a beat when she realized it had come from Amane. It was through will power alone that she didn't cry out as she struggled to a sitting position and her eyes fastened with her teammates' black ones over the distance. She was down and her opponent was getting ready to deliver the final blow. _'Akemi!'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_Eizan was standing in the darkness again and she reached out her hands, but she couldn't feel anything. They very air was freezing and it was starting to seep into her very bones so they ached, and the warning was flashing through her mind, almost screaming at her._

_She had started to walk in a random direction but the warning followed her and seemed to come from every angle as her ears ached. As she continued to advance, she tripped over something and almost fell, but she regained her footing and felt around for what it might have been. After a moment, she realized that it was a body and the warmth was fading quickly from their skin._

_The kunoichi had no idea whom it might be but she tried to warm them up all the same. She tried to rub the feeling back to their stiff hands but her own were completely numb that she probably couldn't seals to save her life. Well, that's what she needed right now, to form seals, but to save this persons' life._

_For a brief moment she wondered if she could light a fire with her mind as she had done when she had been younger. During that time she had no control over it and when she tried it usually resulted badly but it was her only option at the moment._

_She tore the sleeves of her shirt and most of the shirt as she shivered but concentrated on the task at hand. Her features twisted as she stared at where she thought the pieces of clothing were but nothing happened for several seconds._

"_Arisa." She stopped and lifted her head and listened but all she could hear was the wind. It seemed to moan and wail, and perhaps that was what she had heard. "Arisa." There it was again. A chill went through her, and Eizan wanted to curl into herself but she had to light the fire since it was their only hope of surviving the cold._

_After another minute where she thought she'd go out of her mind, there was a spark and the cloth caught fire. The light reflected off the contours of her face and her blood-rimmed, black eyes._

"_Arisa," a voice whispered just at her ear. A startled gasp left her mouth as she turned around and saw that the person had been a man and had sat up. His arms stretched like rubber, and pulled her against him as she yelled and tried to break free. The appendages were a sickly white and the fingers dug painfully against her sides as they held her in place._

_She cried out in terror when the flesh of his face started to melt away and she found herself staring at her brother's face. Her mouth dropped in shock as the thing grinned cruelly at her. "Arisa, you killed me," he whispered as she shook her head. That wasn't her brother's voice. __**"You killed me."**_

_The arms tightened their hold and he leaned closer to her as she caught a whiff of decay from him. No, this wasn't her brother. He suddenly fastened his mouth over hers as her eyes widened in surprise and horror. __**'This isn't Eizan-nii-san,'**__ she told herself as the nails pierced her skin and drew blood. __**'This isn't my brother!'**_

_She closed her eyes as she pulled away with a cry and let her chakra burst forth and both of them burst into flames. The thing shrieked but continued to cling to her as she struggled to get loose._

_It suddenly stopped trashing around and pressed its mouth against her ear as she froze. "You will be mine, Arisa-chan," it hissed. Then it leaned down and bit into her neck as she screamed._

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Oboro and Mubi stopped abruptly as a feeling of terror gripped them and they shuddered before looking up. The once unconscious third member of the Suna cell shifted and rose gracefully to his feet. That wouldn't have been so surprising, but there was a visible, black aura surrounding him and it moved and shifted like fire. There were black, flame-like marks spreading from his neck across his face and down the length of his left arm.

Iwane's opponent, who was the closest, found himself stepping back when the shorter shinobi's gaze turned in his direction. The black eyes had blood red cracks over the surface of them and the pupils burned fiercely and he saw his death in them. Oboro turned to flee but was quite shocked when a figure appeared before him. His breath caught in his throat as he was met with that terrifying gaze and moments later he felt a chakra enhanced hand plunge through his chest.

The Erizawa female watched in stunned silence as Eizan's hand came out of the boy's back. His screams filled the surrounding area as his skin started to peel and burn, and it looked like he'd been hit by the fire user's Jigoku no Jutsu. That wasn't possible since she hadn't even performed the seals and it almost seemed like he was burning from the inside.

When the Ame-nin's screams had gone quiet she pulled out her hand and the body fell apart like embers. With a flick of her wrist, the ashes on her hand and arm burned off. Now she turned to the remaining rain-nin and he froze. His face was hidden so it wasn't possible to see his expression besides the widening of his left eye.

Mubi stepped back when she calmly walked in his direction as a terrifying expression adorned her features. He withdrew his kunai uselessly and flung it at her but it stopped in midair before her. The weapon melted as if it were butter and gathered in a black pool on the ground at Eizan's feet.

The enemy ninja was shocked at the show of power by the teammate they had originally thought was weak since she'd been injured before the other two. Now he was regretting their miscalculation as he backed away from the Suna-nin.

"Onegai," he pleaded as he took out the scroll and set it on the ground before backing off quickly. "Take the scroll, just let me go!"

Iwane had watched as the Ashikaga killed her opponent without a second thought and she had seen the sadistic grin that had been stretched over her face. It reminded her so much of that snake bastard's that it was frightening.

'_This isn't Arisa,'_ she thought and pulled out the kunai one by one and let them drop to the ground. She stood uneasily and turned toward Amane. The wind user had already reacted and now she was standing as well.

Amane coughed and stood as she clutched her bloodied side. The wound caused a spasm of pain to flow through her and she clenched her free hand till she felt her nails biting into her flesh. Her eyes lifted to watch as Eizan walked toward the Ame-nin. The Itagaki took a deep breath and moved swiftly toward the enemy and knocked him to the side with her body. She struggled to remain on her feet, but finally straightened and kicked the boy against the side of the face to knock him out.

She turned to see that Iwane had limped over to their teammate's side and Eizan was looking at them both with hostile eyes but made no move to attack them. Despite what Orochimaru had done, it seemed she still recognized them to some extent.

"Eizan-sama," Iwane gasped and reached out for her. The smaller girl flinched away, and she lowered it with a slight wounded expression. "It's okay. It's just us."

Amane moved closer as well and gave a strained smile, her hand still clutching her wound as her fingers were covered in blood. "It's Amane and Iwane," she told. Her eyes fastened on the remains of the other rain shinobi and she sighed. "Please stop this, Arisa."

Eizan flinched and looked down at the ground as she closed her eyes momentarily. It looked like she was trying to regain some form of control and after several seconds, the black flames started to recede from her arms and face before completely fading. When she opened her eyes, they were back to normal, and she stumbled forward before collapsing onto her knees. "Oh Kami," she whispered. "What did he do to me?"

Her two teammates helped her stand. "What ever it is, we'll over come it," the earth user muttered. The brown haired kunoichi nodded in agreement and they helped the shorter girl to sit beside the tree trunk she'd previously been resting against. The terrain had been severely damaged during their fight but they paid it no mind. Attending to their wounds was more important than the destruction surrounding them.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was just after dusk when they came upon the clearing that reeked of fire and blood. They had moved out earlier that day, and encountered one more team from leaf and had disposed of them. However, it turned out that they also had an Earth scroll and not the Heaven they needed. They'd kept it in case they ran into another enemy they couldn't defeat, and then moved on again.

They came to stop on the edge of the clearing which had the strong scent of death and they were shocked at the scene that met their eyes. They had found a dead Ame shinobi on the ground as they had been approaching. There had been a kunai driven through the back of his neck with its tip coming out of his throat.

His features, which had been uncovered due to his air mask falling off, had been twisted with pain, and the binding hid his eyes from view. By the looks of the tips of his fingers and ears, that had already started to turn purple, he'd been dead for maybe a day. They had cautiously approached the area where most of the battle had more than likely taken place.

There was another dead rain-nin, and his body was sitting on the ground and slumped against a tree trunk. It looked like he had been in the process of standing and attacking and had been impaled by several kunai and shuriken. The kunai had fallen inches from where his hand had dropped and his one visible eye was glazed over in death, and his mouth had an air mask secured over it.

"I wonder who did this?" their female teammate asked herself quietly. Sakura had pulled back the now shorter strands of her pink hair and secured it with her hitai-ate. She crouched down to observe the ground, pulling the ends of her black pants up and adjusting the red shirt almost nervously. Her sleeveless jacket had been torn in her battle with the Oto kunoichi, and had been discarded.

Sasuke walked more into the battle site and crouched besides a pile of ash. He frowned when he saw a scorched rain headband, remains of clothing, and another gas mask within the pile. "I found the third teammate," he said over his shoulder. He wondered what type of Katon jutsu had been used that was strong enough to reduce a human body into nothing but ash so effectively.

He stood and glanced to the side and promptly froze in disbelief at what he saw several meters away between the roots of a huge tree. There was a Heaven scroll lying on the ground and besides a bit of blood splattering the surface, it looked relatively unharmed.

Naruto hurried over and stopped a few feet away before forming a hand seal. _'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!'_ When a single clone appeared he ordered it to go over and pick up the scroll. It did as he instructed but nothing happened so that meant that no traps had been placed around it. Also, the scroll was solid and when the Naruto-clone walked over, he held it out as the Uchiha activated his Sharingan.

"It's real," he muttered and deactivated his dojutsu. When he took the scroll from the clone, Naruto dispelled it and Sasuke turned to look at his teammates as they shrugged. "Maybe the other team dropped it?" It was a stupid suggestion but the only one that seemed plausible.

Sakura moved forward and crouched around the area where the scroll had been. She placed a hand against the ground and felt the cool earth underneath her fingers. "They've been gone for a while," she commented. "If they _did_ drop it, they would have noticed it by now and came back." She turned teal orbs on both boys and frowned. "Either way, we have to get moving toward the tower."

The blonde Genin frowned and shook his head. "What if it's a fake, dattebayo?" he asked them and withdrew a scroll from his own pouch. It looked almost the same as the Heaven scroll but it was obviously not the same one because the kanji on it was different. "It would be easy to change it and make it look like a Heaven scroll."

"That's true," the kunoichi of their team nodded. "But remember the rules." She lifted her hand and took the scroll from Sasuke. "It says that we're not allowed to open the scrolls until we have both of them in our possession. So, we'll simply open the Heaven before the Earth scroll, and if it's a fake we'll know then." She turned her eyes to look at the Uchiha prodigy. "Sasuke, did you sense any traps or anything out of the ordinary when you looked at it with your Sharingan?"

He shook his head and realized that this was one of the few times she'd said his name without '-kun'. He didn't mind since it would have been better than putting the -san at the end. It was a relief that she'd stopped chasing after him since his feelings lay else where. "Iie," he commented and took the scroll and stuffed it into his pouch. Sakura still had the other and it would be safer if they were separated. "Let's move."

They nodded and were off again. "One or more of the other team was injured," the kunoichi commented, since she had seen the blood that had been around the scroll. It had been hastily covered up and so that meant they were in a hurry and couldn't afford to linger any longer or cover up their tracks properly. "Either way, we should be careful."

The two boys nodded and continued on their way to the tower. They now had the second scroll and hoped it wasn't forged or they'd have to return to the forest and search out a team that had what they needed. It that happened, they'd loose precious time.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane practically kicked open the door as she held up the shorter girl, but let Eizan go when she insisted that she was fine and could walk on her own. They had been making their way toward the tower and had finally reached it. It was nearing dusk and there didn't seem to be anyone in the room they had just entered. She was grateful that her injury wasn't that serious but her hands were another thing. The kunai had sliced them up pretty badly and were now wrapped in bandages.

When they had left the clearing, it had been after an hour of rest and they had bandaged their wounds and quickly covered up the evidence of them being there. Iwane had complained that it was sloppy but they couldn't afford to stay there for too long since they could be attacked again. So, they had proceeded to the tower and Eizan had insisted they leave the Heaven scroll. She refused to touch it since she had acquired it using whatever unwanted power Orochimaru had given her.

Iwane sighed and plopped down on the floor before glancing up and narrowing her eyes on the sign posted overhead. "What's that?" she wondered out loud. The other two looked at what she meant and saw what she was now pointing at. "If qualities of Heaven are your desire...eh, blah, blah," she sighed and let herself fall onto her back. "Whatever, it's probably some deep meaning about being a Chunin like that guy said during the first portion of the exam."

Amane chuckled quietly at her jovial teammate's words and stretched her arms over her head. She sat upon the floor before glancing at Eizan. The girl was leaning heavily against the wall besides the door they had just walked in through. Her bangs had become messier so her eyes were no longer visible, but it looked like she was ready to collapse and only through sheer will was she still on her feet. The wind wielder could tell by her labored breathing and rapid heart beat that the past two day's events had taken their toll on her and she was making herself stay conscious until they had passed the second part of the exam.

"It's time to open the scrolls!" Iwane replied in a singsong voice as she jumped to her feet. They both wondered where she always got so much energy from, but Amane knew that she realized the same thing she had. If they lingered anymore without opening the scrolls, then Eizan would collapse prematurely. She knew that Iwane was suffering from the wounds she had sustained in their fight against the rain-nin and was no doubt holding back. It must have hurt like hell to jump up the way she just had with her injured leg.

After a moment, the other two also stood and Eizan extracted the scrolls from her shirt. She handed one to Iwane and the other to Amane, and both girls hesitated only slightly before they nodded. When they opened them they saw the kanji sign _'Jin'_ in the center of the scroll and surrounded by other symbols.

It was Amane who first realized what they held in their hands and she threw down the scroll and the earth user did the same a moment later when hers started to shudder. Smoke started to rise from the scrolls and they stepped back. They glimpsed a figure and were immediately alert as each withdrew a kunai and flung it into the rapidly dissipating smoke.

A startled cry was heard and it was quickly followed by the sounds of the kunai being deflected. "Tomare!" a voice yelled before they could attack again. They complied but refused to drop their guard.

As the air finally cleared, an older ninja came into view that looked to be in his early twenties. He was wearing a dark blue long sleeved shirt and the green Chunin vest over it. He had matching blue pants with his holsters attached at his right thigh and the ankles of the pants secured with bandages that ended just above his blue issue sandals. The girls relaxed only slightly when they realized he was a Konoha Chunin, judging by the leaf hitai-ate at his forehead.

He looked at the three Genin before him and saw that they looked like they'd gone through quite a bit over the last two days. They were looking at him pointedly and he realized he had been staring at them but he couldn't help it since he didn't know whether they were three boys or girls. "Oh! I'm Umino Iruka and-"

"Did we pass or not?" Eizan muttered as her long bangs continued to shield her eyes from view. She did feel like she could faint at any second and she wanted to know they had passed before falling into unconsciousness.

"Well, yes you did pass since there's three days left," he said and looked her over. He noticed that she was in pretty bad shape. "However, if your injuries are too severe, you will be forced to forfeit."

Her eyes narrowed and she lifted her face and he saw her eyes finally. They were like fire and he stepped back at feeling a powerful aura coming from her. Then she winced and clamped a hand against her neck. "I'm fine," she muttered stubbornly. She refused to fail at this point.

"I..." he started, but saw as she squared her shoulders defiantly. "Very well." He sighed and scratched his head, and they were able to see that most of his dark brown hair was pulled in a high ponytail. His kind, black eyes moved from one to the other. "I need to explain the sign overhead."

"No need," Amane commented as she stretched her arms. She tried not to wince since her hands were still a bit sensitive and knew that they'd have to be treated with more than what she had already administered on them. "We know what it means and what goes in the blank space. Jin." She smirked when she saw his slightly surprised expression. "Now, is there some place we may rest until the rest of the exam is over?"

Iruka _was_ a bit surprised but nodded after a moment. They were obviously tried and most likely didn't want to stand around listening to him speak about what they already knew. "Hai," he replied and turned to lead them away from the room. "Right this way." They followed him and he explained that since there was still three days left, that they could be looked over by a medic-nin.

He was stunned when they refused and only asked where they could find their instructor. It seemed that the sand ninja were rather untrusting, but then it was understandable since they were in a strange village, ally or not. "Are you sure you don't want to have a medic-nin look you over?" he asked again. They looked pretty tried and he noticed that the tallest of the three had both hands bandaged up.

Eizan glanced sharply at the man and saw the concerned look on his face, which was only marred by a scar running across the bridge of his nose. Her lips turned up in an actual smile as her eyes softened slightly. "We're sure, Umino-san," she assured him and then turned away. She walked into the room he'd led them to as the other sand ninja bowed slightly at the Chunin and joined their comrade as the door closed behind them.

Iruka was a bit confused by the whole experience. The aura coming from the shorter kunoichi—he'd realized they were all girls—had been terrifying and almost familiar. Then her smile had seemed genuine despite the exhausted state her body was in.

He sighed and moved in the direction of the infirmary to warn the medic-nin to be ready on hand in case they were needed. The Suna-nin might have refused treatment but he wanted the medical staff to be ready in case they changed their minds. Afterwards, he hurried back to his post. Naruto's team hadn't arrived yet, but judging from the progress they'd made over the last few months, they wouldn't take too much longer.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A team of three Konoha-nin entered the empty room and glanced around. "At last!" the short haired male cried and plopped down on the floor. The kunoichi rolled her eyes and turned to the other boy in her team.

"You open one and I'll open the other, Take," she told him, taking one of the scrolls from him. With a nod, they opened them as Anzai continued to lounge on the floor. "Get your butt over...here?"

Anzai glanced up when he heard her tone of voice change and saw the scrolls starting to shake. He was on his feet in an instant as Take and Sanako threw the scrolls down. They all extracted weapons when they saw someone come out of it. They instinctively attacked.

"Ack!" the person exclaimed as they tumbled out of the smoke, narrowly avoiding being impaled by the projectiles. "Watch it, those things are dangerous!"

They didn't recognize the man but he was obviously a Chunin. "Hey, old man," Anzai muttered. "Did we pass?"

The mentioned 'old man' twitched and jumped to his feet. "I am not an old man!" he sputtered. "Such disrespect!"

He yawned and then eyed him warily. "How old are you?"

The Chunin puffed out his chest as he was asked this question, still managing to look indignant in the process. "I am barely 27 years old," he stated matter-of-factly.

Anzai snorted and shook his head. "Like I said, _old man_, did we pass?" He met the ground a moment later as he felt a fist connect with the back of his head, courtesy of his sister. "Ow."

Sanako huffed in annoyance and glanced apologetically at the older man. "Gomen nasai," she told him. "We'll try to gag him next time. Now, could you please tell us if we passed to the third portion of the exam, Chunin-san?"

The man was pleased with the respectful tone that the kunoichi used with him and smiled smugly. "I'd be more than happy to respond but since this boy was so rude I will not tell you right off. I will first explain the complex meaning of the sign behind me."

Sanako's left eye twitched as he said this. "GET ON WITH IT!" she yelled, startling the Chunin. "I WANNA SEE HIM!" She had been trying to be polite but he was being impossible. She wanted to get inside the tower and see if she saw...him. It had been a while since she'd last seen him since he had still been in the Academy when she graduated and then she'd been distracted by missions.

When he'd become a Genin she had been hoping to see him more often but it hadn't been possible. Not to mention the fact that she was jealous of the kunoichi within his team. She had to make sure that the evil witch hadn't gotten her claws into him.

The leaf-nin reached out, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet. "Tell. Me. Now." This was said between clenched teeth, trying to keep her cool or she'd fling him through a wall. She'd always had excellent chakra control and this last year it had improved drastically.

"You passed! You passed!" he yelled as his feet dangled clean off the floor. "Now put me down!"

Sanako grinned and set him on the ground and skipped out of the room to find the man of her dreams. Meanwhile, the Chunin had collapsed to the floor besides Anzai. The younger ninja hadn't even bothered getting up. "Baka! You shouldn't have gotten her mad."

Haku rolled his eyes. _'He should take his own advice.'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The red head frowned as he saw the look that crossed Enoki's face as he spoke quietly with Eizan's teammates. They had approached the man and asked to converse in private with him, but Eizan had not been with them. Whatever they had told him, Gaara saw his hands clench and his lips press into a thin, bloodless line. Something was wrong.

Before he could even try to find out what was going on, the three ninja turned and headed out of the room without so much as a word in their direction. His turquoise orbs narrowed and he turned to head out of the room. He heard Baki ask him where he was going, but he merely ignored the man.

It had been two days since the start of the second exam and he found it strange that it had taken Eizan's team this long to finish. From what he knew of her abilities, she should have gotten her team through that same day. _'Did something happen?'_

He knew that the Ashikaga was still gathering intelligence on the Genin from the other countries, and wondered if perhaps that had been the reason they had taken so long. That thought didn't sit well with Gaara, and it had been him that had originally told her to gather the information.

Gaara searched out the girl's chakra signature and when he found it, a frown twisted his features. There was something different about it. A startling amount of malevolence was soaked into it and he could tell that it was external. He'd known her long enough to know that even though she killed for him, she'd never been cold-blooded or cruel. So, whatever was coating her normal chakra, it was evil.

The scarlet haired shinobi disguised his spiritual energy and approached to listen at the door. He heard muffled voices coming from inside and he only made out a few words. The ones he was certain he'd heard were _'bitten'_ and _'mark'_. He might have heard a name but he couldn't really tell. When he heard footsteps approaching the door, he vanished in his sand but kept his third eye above the door.

From the angle of the eye, he only glimpsed part of the room and the foot of a bed. He knew the fire wielder was spread out on it since Iwane was standing besides the bed and looking to the left and out of his line of sight. Amane was speaking with Enoki, who had been the one that opened the door. He had obviously paused and turned to respond to the wind user.

"Keep watch over her for tonight and if anything happens, come find me," he said quietly. His visible features were twisted into a frown, eyebrows furrowed. "It's definitely a curse seal but it's not my area of expertise. I have done all I can do." He shook his head with a sigh. "The Fuuin jutsu I placed on it can only hold the curse seal at bay by her will. If she should falter... it will consume her."

Gaara watched as the muscles in Amane's face hardened and her hands clenched. "Can it be removed?" she asked him quietly. Her knowledge of curse seals was dwarfed when compared to Enoki, so she had no choice but to ask.

His head dipped as he sighed again. "Iie, it can't be removed." He pinched the bridge of his nose, which was mostly covered by his cloth mask. The man looked exhausted and had undoubtedly used a large amount of his chakra sealing the curse mark. "It's likely that she'll carry it the rest of her life."

Iwane sighed quietly as her eyes lingered on the unconscious girl for a moment and turned in their direction. She paused for a moment as Gaara frowned and a moment later an impish grin spread over her face. It caused an unknown emotion to build inside of him that he'd later recognize as annoyance.

The other two Suna-nin turned to look at her and the grin was gone before they noticed it. "Then all we can do is keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't lose control." After saying this, Iwane's eyes flicked up and fastened in the direction of his third eye. "She will rest undisturbed for now."

Gaara knew she was speaking to him and he frowned since he heard the warning in her voice. His eyes narrowed before he dispelled the jutsu and turned away. His figure moved along the corridor located in the interior of one of the many floors within the tower. He turned the corner that would lead him back where he'd left his team, but something kept bugging him. _'Who gave her the curse seal?'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A gasp left her lips as her eyes snapped open. She moaned softly and rolled onto her side on the bed. Pain gripped her entire being and she hissed quietly as she curled into a ball, her hand gripped against her neck.

There was an uncomfortable layer of perspiration covering her body, and her clothes –or what little she wore– stuck to every curve of her slender frame. Eizan had been haunted by the ghastly images once again, and her pounding pulse overpowered every other sound within the pitch black room. She wasn't conscious of the time but the silence that seemed to almost pulsate against her ears indicated that it was probably late.

The few minutes she spent withering in agony seemed to last a lifetime and when it finally subsided, she took a deep breath to calm her racing pulse. She sat up and slipped off the bed enough for her bare feet to touch the cold floor but remained sitting. After she'd allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkened room she saw two figures spread out in the other beds. This was the room Iruka had led them too and he'd explained that the quarters in this level could accommodate three people.

She silently left the room and walked along the silent and empty hallway. The corridor was dim but there were a lights spread out along spaced intervals so it wasn't completely dark. So, she was spared the irritation of bumping into anything within her path. It was July, but even then she shivered in the slightly cold hall, since she wore nothing more than shorts and a sleeveless tank top.

Eizan stretched out her senses and winced only slightly from the sting of the curse seal, and concentrated on Gaara's chakra signature. She found it within moments and moved in the direction of his presence. The fire user was sure that he would know she was coming as she turned a corner.

His figure was leaning against the frame of one of the double doors that led onto a small balcony, and moonlight bathed his lean body and the gourd on his back. His eyes were turned to peer outside as she approached quietly before crouching.

Her head was lowered in submission, right knee and hand touching the floor beneath her. She hadn't bothered to replace her hitai-ate and her bangs fell into her face, shielding her eyes from sight. "Gaara-dono," she muttered.

"What are you doing up so late?" he asked her in that emotionless voice she had yet to grow accustomed to. It was surprising that he'd responded so quickly, since he usually never spoke until after she had given her report. Even then, he sometimes didn't speak and only dismissed her with a nod of his head.

"The report," she explained. Her head lifted slightly to take in his stance. It was a bit stiffer than usual and from the angle he was standing she could tell his arms were crossed over his chest as usual. His long blood red hair almost looked brown in this light and it had been pulled into a low ponytail, and something in his face caused her whole body to stiffen. There was something wrong.

"Go back to bed," he said before turning completely away. He flickered and was gone in the next second. Only the slight litter of sand along the floor gave any indication that he'd ever been there. Now that he wasn't blocking the door, the moon's light spilled more into the room and over her crouched body.

Her lips were slightly parted in stunned disbelief and she stayed kneeling for a while. She straightened at last and lowered her head. Eizan didn't understand what had just happened, but it filled her with dread. Something was about to happen, and she only hoped it wouldn't be the end of her.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
1. haori: **is a hip- or thigh-length kimono coat which adds formality. _Haori_ were originally reserved for men, until fashions changed at the end of the Meiji period. (During the Naruto time, it is still only men that wear them, I believe). Nowadays they are now worn by both men and women, though women's kimono jackets tend to be longer.  
**2. Obi: **are the top-most sash worn with various styles of Japanese clothing, including kimono and yukata.  
**3. ****Umanori ****hakama: **There are two types of hakama, divided (_umanori_, horse-riding hakama) and undivided (_gyoto hakama_). The _umanori_ type are divided like trousers, but nearer the bottom of the garment.  
**4. Zori: **are thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw or other plant fibers, lacquered wood, or—increasingly—synthetic materials. Zori are quite similar to flip-flops.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Sixteen**_


	18. The Start of the Preliminaries

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN: **I'm so happy today since I was finally able to get my copy of Diru's new album. It hadn't occurred to me that it was going to be released in the US, but it was. I was grinning from ear to ear when I found out my bf had gotten it, and uncut too! n.n It's a good day! On with the chapter! (btw, I seem to have a bad case of food poisoning from accidentally eating raw hamburger meat in a restaurant, so I will be out of commission for a while. Sorry about this, but it is beyond my control. Hopefully I will be up and about in a few days. Thank you for your time.)

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Seventeen: The Start of the Preliminaries**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

All the Genin teams that had made it out of the Forest of Death alive and well enough to continued had been vertically lined up in front of a slightly raised platform where the gargantuan stone carved hands came together to form a seal. The Genin's Jonin instructors, along with the chief proctors, were gathered in three horizontal lines behind the Sandaime Hokage. Since the majority of the teams entered had been from Konoha, there were more leaf-nin present. It also seemed apparent that the rookie teams, or the Rookie Nine, had all made it past the second part of the exam.

The first team consisted of a silent Haku, or Take, a smirking Anzai and a slightly nervous Sanako. Besides them was one of the rookie leaf team which consisted of Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji.

Then came a second team of rookies consisting of Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino. Next to them was Naruto's team with the Uzumaki in the front, followed by Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura taking up the rear. The team of Konoha ninja next to them had a year experience and they were Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten. The following leaf team was even older and had Yakushi Kabuto in front, then Akado Yoroi, and Tsurugi Misumi.

One of the only two Suna teams to make it this far was standing besides Kabuto's team and its members were Ashikaga Eizan, Itagaki Amane, and Erizawa Iwane at the back. Gaara's team was on their right, with the red head in front, Kankurou behind him and followed by Temari at the end. The final team was the solitary team from Oto that consisted of Dosu Kinuta, Zaku Abumi, and Kin Tsuchi.

They had listened to the Hokage speak of the reason they held the Chunin examination all at once. "You risk not only your own futures and dreams, but the dignity and prestige of your home village as well," the old man finished. Most of the teams had been paying attention, since he'd explained that the exam was in fact acting as a "war". Some of the people that would be watching the third part of the exam would be important figures, such as the daimyo that give missions to the strongest nations.

The proctor for the exam was a Tokubetsu Jonin by the name of Gekkou Hayate. He looked to be in his early twenties, wearing a headband covering most of his dark brown hair so only some of it fell into his black eyes, and the metal plate with the leaf insignia was worn across the forehead of the bandana. The man also wore the Chunin vest and the same clothes as the others above the Genin level.

He had dark shadows under his eyes and his pale complextion made anyone looking at him think that he was right at death's door. Between coughing spasms, he told the Genin teams gathered that there would be preliminaries. Of course many were upset.

Eizan clenched a hand in anger as she heard the news. She has been resting the last three days that remained for the second part of the exam. However, she had quickly realized that any use of chakra caused the mark on her neck to ache unbearably.

A was placed on her shoulder and she turned to meet Amane's worried look. She nodded to indicated that she was fine and turned back as Hayate explained why the number of applicants had to be reduced. The second part of the exam had ended ten minutes ago and more than half of the teams had been eliminated, but it seemed that there were still too many of them.

"There will be a number of honored guests observing you during the third exam," he explained, once again pausing to cough. "So we must make the exam intense, tight, and fast-moving." He lifted the papers he had in his right hand. "The preliminaries starts immediately so anyone who doesn't feel up to the challenge can walk away."

"Now!?" Kiba of Cell Eight yelled. The small beige dog on his head barked as if also outraged by this news. There were others that didn't seem to happy about this as they muttered in annoyance, but it was mostly the ones that hadn't finished too long ago.

"Well, I'm out," Kabuto said as he lifted his right hand with a sheepish smile adorning his handsome features. There were several recent wounds on his body and a band aid across the bridge of his nose.

Hayate stopped mid cough as he glanced at his papers, one fist against his mouth so his words were slightly muffled. "Aren't you Yakushi Kabuto of Konoha?" he asked as the younger ninja nodded. "Okay, you can go." The leaf ninja paused as if he had just remembered something. "Oh, in case I forgot to mention it, from here on in you fight as individuals and not as a team. So you can make the decision that's right for you without worrying about anyone else. Anyone else want out?"

"Hey, Kabuto!" the blonde of Cell Seven spoke up. "What's up with you quitting?" His loud outburst caused several of the Genin to look in his direction. The energetic ninja also looked a bit worn out, since they had run into trouble and fought off a more experienced team from Taki.

Kabuto had joined them before and had stopped them from opening the Heaven scroll they had found in the battle zone with the dead Ame-nin. He'd advised that they would be better off opening it in the tower and wasting time if it was a fake, then opening it in the forest and being disqualified because it was real. They had momentarily suspected that he might be trying to steal their Earth scroll, but it had faded when Kabuto had shown them he already had a set.

As they moved toward the tower, he had explained that he'd gotten separated from his team mates and was suppose to meet up with them at the tower. Also, he had advised that they be alert since many teams might have set traps around the surrounding area that the tower was located in. Then they'd been ambushed.

They had lost several hours while fighting off the ninja from Waterfall but by noon they had managed to make it to the tower with only minor injuries. Then it was to discover that the scroll had been real but the question of who had left it remained unanswered.

"Naruto, I'm sorry but those guys we fought beat the crap out of me," he told the younger ninja. It wasn't a lie since he had saved Naruto and the others a few times and had sustained more wounds than they had. He was aware that many were listening to the conversation, including the Suna kunoichi besides him. "Not to mention the wounds I received trying to recover our team's scroll. Now they're saying we have to fight again so soon and I don't think I'm up to that."

Naruto's sun-kissed head slumped as he looked down and gave a furlong sigh, and he seemed like a disappointed child. Kabuto smirked slightly at the expression, but knew he couldn't linger. He would have liked to continue but any longer and his true self would threaten to bubble to the surface.

The older leaf-nin pushed his glasses up and his eyes narrowed in the direction of the Jonin that were behind the Hokage. He was there as a spy and couldn't afford to blow his cover, even if he did want to see how strong that sand girl was. Either way, with Orochimaru as a spectator, then he could leave the intelligence gathering to him since he'd already informed him of Uchiha Sasuke's progress up till now.

After a few brief words with Yoroi, which were far from being a pep talk, he turned to leave. He caught Team Seven's gaze, smiled and waved at them before walking toward the exit. Now that his back was turned, a cruel smirk spread over his face. _'I look forward to our next meeting, Sasuke and Naruto.'_ He pushed through the doors and was gone.

Eizan had turned to watch Kabuto leave, remembering that he'd been the one with the shinobi cards. From what Iwane and Amane had seen and heard, he had one for her. The information had actually been her brother's and that was most likely why the Uchiha had been paying her extra attention since the card would have listed her as _'Deceased'_. It was slightly amusing to realize that the card would have also said that she was male.

A sharp throb of pain caused her to hiss quietly as she gripped her neck. Iwane saw her flinch and Amane heard her, and the earth user appeared in front of her. The shorter girl had moved back at sensing their intentions and now found herself in the middle.

"So, uh," the proctor spoke up again, "looks like no one else is quitting." His gaze lingered over their cell at sensing the girl's movements, but Iwane –who was now in front– only gave him a disarming grin. He lifted an eyebrow when she winked at him and thought it best to turn his eyes else where.

"He's kinda cute," the Erizawa female casually commented. Moments later, she felt Amane's glare burning into her skull and then someone smack her against the back of her head "Itai! I was only kidding!"

Amane almost smirked and knew that the girl was trying to lighten the mood, but saw her tense shoulders. "Maybe you should quit," the air wielder told the smaller girl. Immediately she saw as the other turned and directed a hardened stare at her. "He did something to you, and Enoki-sensei said it might be permanent."

Her brow furrowed at the thought. _'Permanent?'_ She shook her head a moment later since she refused to walk away. "I don't care," she growled and leveled her gaze toward Gaara. The red head had turned his attention toward them and had been watching her intently. In fact, it had been that way as soon as Iwane had moved to the front of their cell. His eyes were narrowed and she saw what she had seen the other night, and it scared her. "I'm finishing this exam."

The Itagaki kunoichi frowned but let the matter drop. While Amane might have been stubborn, they knew that Eizan wouldn't change her mind. Both girls sighed and turned around, and the taller girl let her eyes wander. She clenched her teeth in anger at seeing the Uchiha's gaze still lingering over Eizan. He had no doubt realized as well that whatever Orochimaru had done to her, it was still affecting her. Amane made sure to keep an eye on the boy.

Gaara frowned as he looked at his subordinate. He knew about the curse seal and could tell that it was causing her pain. They hadn't seen much of each other after their last meeting after Eizan's team had fininshed the second part. Enoki hadn't allowed her to leave the room and the other two girls were making sure to keep her isolated in the room. Then Baki had done the same thing, while he didn't like it, the Jonin had advised that it was the best thing to do. When the time came for the invasion, it would be best to put some distance between them.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Even when Eizan had stated that she was fine, that was not really the case. The burning agony was crawling along her neck and down her entire body, and it showed no signs of fading. She wanted nothing more than to succumb to the sweet oblivion that kept nagging at her. The Ashikaga knew, however, that even then she'd find no peace.

During the past three days, gruesome dreams had haunted her sleeping hours, and she'd woken up several times in a cold sweat. Then upon waking, she'd be racked with pain. There seemed to be no end to her suffering.

Her gaze, along with every one else's, turned up as the electronic scoreboard started up to determine the first match. Hopefully, she'd be one of the first to fight and get it over with. Then she could seek out a place to collapse, but knowing her luck, she might be one of the last.

_Hyuuga Neji  
vs.  
Hideaki Anzai_

A sigh left her lips as she saw the names appear for the first match. Fate hated her.

Meanwhile, the two competitors peered up at their names. Neji seemed nonplussed and Anzai was grinning a bit triumphantly. He had been itching to get a chance to fight the pale eyed teen, and now he finally had it.

They were from the same graduating class and the Hyuuga had always out shone the rest of them, Anzai included. The Hideaki boy had always thought he was so full of himself, but then he'd learned a bit about the Hyuuga Clan from his father and how they were separated into two sections. There was the main house and the lower branch families. Neji was part of the branch family.

For a while he'd been infatuated with the other and had what some might call a crush, but he'd found out two things that made him realize he had no chance with him. First was that he only seemed to care about training and showing how much stronger he was than the main house. The second was that he was straight.

He had been crushed –no pun intended– and swore to one day make the Hyuuga pay for his humiliation. While Anzai knew it wasn't Neji's fault, he needed to do this to completely get over him, and also for the fact that Neji had never noticed. He had thought he'd made his feelings obvious but the other hadn't even batted an eye. It hurt.

The rowdy teen moved forward to stand besides the proctor in the middle of the room and Neji did the same. Over the small distance that separated them cobalt clashed with lavender. While Anzai had always been unnerved by the others' stare he refused to look away now. He flicked a stray lock of his hair away from his face and smirked at the other boy. His opponent merely stared at him with a neutral expression on his features.

"The first match is Hyuuga Neji versus Hideaki Anzai, any objections from the opponents?" Hayate asked them, glancing between them. He could sense tension between the two competitors and wondered how that would affect this match. It was a well known fact that the Byakugan user had been named the number one rookie among his peers last year, and from what he'd seen from the brief look at their information, the Hideaki boy was from the same graduating class.

"I have none," the slightly shorter boy assured, shifting slightly. He was raring to go and see how much his 'rival' had improved over the last year since he had seen him. Since they had advanced into the rank of Genin he hadn't seen much of the youth, and he had been going out on missions with his two teammates. Then they had gotten a C-rank mission and the other male in their team, Morisue Gengyo, had perished.

It had been a devastating blow to lose his best friend and he'd mourned for him. When they'd placed Take in their team he'd been upset since he was replacing Gengyo and he had refused to see him as an ursurp for a while. Their instructor had even been changed and that had upset Anzai even more. He'd adamantly refused to even join the Chunin exam and had started to perfer going to the ninja memorial instead of training.

Anzai knew that Gai's team would be participating in the exam this year but he still refused to sign the application they'd been handed by their new Jonin instructor. Then he'd met a blonde rookie that wanted to join the exam. It turned out that he was acquainted with Takejiro and the other boy had made him realize that he was also grieving. He'd lost everything he knew and now he was placed on their team and expected to be interact and work together with him and his sister.

Uzumaki Naruto had been the ninja's name. His loud clothes had been unmistakeable and he recognized him as being the periah of Konohagakure. However, he wasn't the fool that everyone said he was and Anzai had found it easy to speak with him. Naruto had explained that death was part of being shinobi. Gengyo had known the risks of being a ninja and had died honorably in the line of duty. It was a hard thing to accept but he'd chosen this kind of life. To live, fight and die for the village.

"Neither do I," Neji said. Although, he had been hoping for a chance to fight against Hinata, and then he'd prove that he was stronger than the Hyuuga Main House.

Hayate coughed into his hand quickly before nodding. "All right, everyone other than the two combatants should move to the upper gallery now." After he said this, the rest of the ninja and Jonin instructors stared to make their way up the stairs where they'd be able to watch the match.

Enoki stood wordlessly beside Baki as their Genin teams gathered in front of the railing. Amane and Iwane stood between Eizan and Gaara, and for once the fire wielder was relieved. She was having a hard time dealing with the curse mark, and she didn't want the red head to see. So, she guessed that she also be grateful toward Enoki that had kept her isolated the past few days. Eizan found that a bit harder to do, though.

"Okay then," Gekkou announced. "You may begin whenever."

Immediately after Neji took his Jyuken stance, Anzai jumped back. He had seen enough of the Hyuuga's style to know that he was a short range fighter. Shifting into his own fighting stance, he waited for the other to make the first attack.

When Neji moved to attack, however, the slightly shorter boy rushed forward as well. He dodged to the side to avoid Neji's hands and threw several shuriken in his direction.

As he deflected them back his way, the Hideaki used Kawarimi to change places with a stunned Hayate, who had to quickly move from the path of the projectiles. Now that Anzai was behind the Hyuuga, he managed to land a kick on his back. The body disappeared and he jumped away, but he was grazed by a hit.

They stopped momentarily and the short haired boy clutched his side as his features were twisted in an expression of pain. He winced as he straightened and fell into his stance once more. Anzai refused to go down so easily. Withdrawing several shuriken, he bent his knees before throwing them forward. Then he ran through several seals as the kanji for _'kiku'_ glowed on the weapons.

Before they reached Neji, they separated and stopped for a moment before coming at him from all sides. Anzai was using chakra lines connected to the shuriken to control them, but knew that his opponent would be able to cut them if given the chance. So he made sure to keep them moving continously and reformed the lines if the Hyuuga managed to cut one.

Neji moved quickly to avoid the weapons, and cut the chakra lines if he had the chance since his Byakugan could see them. He had been in the same class as Anzai and his sister, but he'd never known he could do this. Now he wished that he had paid the other's fighting abilities more attention as a shuriken sliced across his right bicep.

His eyes caught sight of him and he was crouched down several feet away as he moved his hands to control the projectiles. Neji knew he needed to get close to him, but he couldn't while the shuriken kept coming at him from every direction. He realized wjat he'd have to do, but hesitated since he hadn't completely perfected it yet. But to advance to the third part of the exam, he'd have to use it to get to Anzai.

Neji waited until all the weapons came at him at once before executing his move. When the time came, he spun in place and expelled chakra from tenketsu all over his body. _'Hakkesho Kaiten!'_

Anzai was shocked as his chakra lines were cut all at once. Before he could move, however, his opponent appeared before him and quickly and cleanly hit him several times over his entire body.

He jumped back, stumbled and fell to the floor with a groan. A wave of dizziness seized him before he coughed up a bit of blood that trailed down the side of his mouth.

"Give up," Neji told him. His pale eyes seemed to peer straight into his soul. "You can no longer use chakra. Your defeat is inevitable."

Anzai realized that he spoke the truth as he tried to use his chakra. Nothing happened, but even then he stood up and fell into a fighting stance as Neji frowned but still looked surprised. "Not yet," he growled before rushing toward him.

He used plain taijutsu now and tried to avoid the other's attacks as much as possible. As he was hit with his open palm, Anzai stumbled back and hit the wall. When he coughed, his blood splattered the floor beneath him.

Neji stood just in front of him with his expressionless face and spoke so only he'd hear. "I will never return them," he said as Anzai flinched. There was no remorse or guilt in his eyes. In fact, there was nothing behind his gaze. His eyes almost looked dead.

Anzai glared at him as he straightened and pitched forward. The Hyuuga caught him without thinking. "I forfeit," he told the proctor as he pushed away from the other boy. He stumbled toward the staircase and almost fell again, but someone appeared at his side. Anzai lifted his gaze to see Take. He lowered his gaze for a moment and then allowed the older boy to help him the rest of the way as he muttered his gratitude.

"The winner of the first match is Hyuuga Neji who advances past the preliminaries," Hayate said. The Byakugan user had looked away and turned his gaze toward his retreating opponent. Anzai's teammate had wrapped an arm around his waist and the younger Genin was leaning heavily against him. A smirk spread over Neji's features since it looked like the other boy would get over him quickly.

The Hyuuga shook his head and turned away to make his way up the other set of stairs and joined his teammates and Jonin sensei. He ignored what Lee was saying about having to do better in order to beat his "eternal rival" and turned toward the scoreboard. It had started up again and was about to determine the second match.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sanako patted her brother on the arm as Take and he joined her once more. "Well, maybe next year, nii-san," she tried to comfort him. Even if she was older by a few minutes, she had always called him her older brother since he'd always been taller than her. Her twin merely muttered something nonsensical as he pulled away from Take and leaned against the wall behind them.

She sighed and glanced at the Hyuuga as he assended the stairs and frowned. Of course she knew that her brother had been practically in love with the taller boy, but she also knew from Tenten that the boy was too obsessed with training to care about anyone. She glanced at Take and saw that he was eyeing her brother carefully since he was sure that he might collapse from the fight. Neji's hands were devestating.

A smile spread over her face as she shood her head. Then she looked around the room and spotted the object of her affection as she blushed. She frowned when she saw the kunoichi standing beside him as she chatted to him and the other teammate. The second teammember looked bored as he leaned against the railing.

Her hands clenched into fists and she wanted to go over and pulverize the girl. "Don't kill her," Anzai warned her. He hadn't moved from where he was resting against the wall. She huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest as she turned to look at the scoreboard.

_Ashikaga Eizan  
__vs.  
__Hyuuga Hinata_

Iwane was the first of their group to look up since Eizan had almost collapsed from the pain the curse seal was causing her. Her emerald orbs narrowed when she saw the names. She knew it was the leaf kunoichi that they encountered after catching up with Gaara in the Forest of Death. Her eyes now flicked toward the girl's direction and the other turned as their eyes locked over the distance. The Erizawa let her gaze move away as the shorter girl blushed.

The earth user would have felt sorry for the Hyuuga female any other day, but now she was worried for Eizan. The seal was draining her of strength and it seemed that it acted up with the use of chakra. It might distract her enough to lose the match.

She spoke quietly into the shorter girl's ear. "Try to avoid her hands," she warned. Iwane had watched Neji's match carefully and if her fighting style was anything like his then a touch from her hands would be bad. She still didn't know for certain what he did except for using chakra.

Eizan's eyes locked with her emerald orbs and smirked slightly. "I'll try not to hurt your girlfriend too badly," she commented as the Erizawa grinned. She reached up and smacked the taller girl lightly against the back of her head before hopping over the railing.

Enoki stepped forward and stood between the two girls as his gaze moved to Eizan as she moved to the center of the room. "The seal I placed on her might not be enough against her chakra," he muttered quietly. Both girls looked forward but were listening to his every word. "If it starts to over power her then I'll stop the match."

Amane snorted sardonically and a smirk that was unlike her crossed her face. "You fail to realize that she possesses a strong will."

"More like stubbornness," Iwane corrected and she was glad that Eizan wasn't there or she'd have gotten smacked again. She didn't mind since the other girl never did it hard, and it was a way of showing affection.

Eizan and Hinata faced each other as the proctor glanced between them. "The second match is Ashikaga Eizan from Suna versus Hyuuga Hinata from Konoha," Hayate said. "If there are no objections, then please begin!"

"Forfeit the match," Eizan suddenly told the pale eyed teen before her. Her facial features were twisted into hard concentration since it helped with the pain. The back of her clothes were soaked in perspiration and stuck uncomfortably to her slick back with the effort, and her body heaved with her labored breathing. She resisted the urge to clamp a hand over the curse seal as it pulsed.

Hinata was slightly surprised by the other's words and let her gaze sweep over her opponent. Her keen sight detected the signs of exhaustion on her face and the rigidity of her body. The blue haired girl saw her chest lifting with each harsh breath and could tell she looked ready to collapse.

"Gomen, b-but I t-think we s-should fight," she stuttered. She didn't want to back down from the fight or she'd never prove to herself if she was stronger.

Eizan swallowed the lump lodged in her throat that threatened to choke her. She took in a shaky breath and assumed a fighting stance. It had been a fair warning to the girl but had known that she wouldn't quit. "You really don't want to fight me right now," she warned and lunged toward her.

Hinata was shocked at the speed with which the Suna Genin rushed at her, and she had to use every ounce of her own speed and skill to dodge and block. She didn't even have the chance to counter the attacks, and there were several hits getting through but none were too serious.

In the following minutes, the Hyuuga heiress found herself being shoved face first against the unyielding floor, one arm twisted behind her as Eizan rested a foot squarely against her back. A cry escaped her as she tried to squirm free, only to have the other lift her arm higher until pain shot through her entire body.

"I'll break it and every other bone in your body if you don't forfeit," Eizan hissed as she pressed down harder with her sandaled foot. They were oblivious to those that were watching the match, and all Hinata felt was the pain.

She tried to break away once more and Eizan only applied more pressure on her limb. "I don't want to hurt you," the Ashikaga muttered.

Eizan could feel her control on the seal slipping and knew that it would engulf her. If that happened then Hyuuga Hinata would die. She would die like the Ame-nin had. "Onegai," she tried one last time.

Hinata heard the desperation in her voice and something compelled her lips to move. She didn't want to give up or she might never prove that she'd changed, but something in her tone and chakra made her shudder in terror. "I quit," she said loud enough for Gekkou to hear.

A moment later she was released as she slowly sat up and turned to face Eizan. She looked worse than she did, and she was the one that had won. Her hand was pressed over an area of her neck, and Hinata used the still activated Byakugan to see past her fingers.

The black seal was revealed to her all seeing eyes and she knew what it was. She was from the Hyuuga clan and thus knew something of curse marks, but this one was unfamiliar to her. Even so, she could tell that it was causing her great pain.

"Winner: Ashikaga Eizan," Hayate proclaimed but the mentioned girl had already walked off. She glanced back briefly at Hinata with a smirk and the Hyuuga saw what appeared to be blood red lines receded from her eyes. Then she turned her attention above and her gaze met with both her teammates. A silent understanding passed between them and then she walked out of the room as the doors closed behind her.

Enoki flashed through hand seals. "Keep me informed," he said before completing the last seal and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Iwane turned her eyes below and to the blue haired girl that was being led away by a medic-nin. Hinata was cradling her right wrist in her left palm as she walked through the doors that Eizan had just passed through moments before.

She frowned and turned away to look at the scoreboard as it determined the next match. "Last one to fight has to gather the info on the other fights," she said as her features took on one of her devilish smirks.

Amane sighed and rolled her eyes. "You just hope you'll fight next so you can be lazy," she muttered. While the other whined indignantly, the names appeared.

_Uchiha Sasuke  
__vs.  
__Zaku Abumi_

There was a sigh and a laugh from the two remaining members of Eizan's team, but this was ignored by the two contenders.

Zaku clenched one of his injured arms as his eyes narrowed. _'At last, I can prove to Orochimaru-sama that Uchiha Sasuke is a weak fool,'_ he mused as he walked down the stairs. His thoughts on his last opponent weren't the same since that's the reason he had his arms in the sling, but he still smirked.

Sasuke stopped in front of the sound ninja and saw his arms, and remembered that Naruto had fought against him in the Forest of Death. He hadn't been able to see that fight but unless he'd gotten them injured trying to get their scrolls then the blonde had been the one that had done this to him.

"I was hoping to fight that little blonde bastard, but you'll do for now," Zaku said with a grin as he bent his knees into a fighting stance.

"You should forfeit," he told the teen as he shifted into his own fighting stance. "With your arms in that condition you'll never beat me."

The words caused Zaku's blood to boil but he calmed himself and instead concentrated on his course of action. "It looks like this arm still has some life left in it," he said as he slowly with drew his left arm. "And I'm betting that one arm is all I need to beat you!"

He jumped toward him and swung but Sasuke quickly blocked. The Uchiha remembered well the type of attack the other had executed in his fight against Naruto and jumped away in time to avoid it. He tried to catch him in his blind spot but the sound shinobi dodged.

There was an exploding note where Zaku landed and when it ignited he was thrown off his feet as the whole structure shook with the blast. The Oto-nin groaned and struggled to sit up, but he was forced down by a foot planted on his chest and another against his left elbow.

Sasuke smirked at him as he kept the other from moving properly, a kunai pointed toward him. "Give up," the raven haired youth told him.

Zaku growled and to everyone's surprise withdrew his right arm from the sling and released his devastating technique. _'Zankuha!'_ Sasuke was hit full force and savagely knocked back.

As Zaku stood, the body he hit disappeared in a puff of smoke. He cried out as he felt a kick to his chin and he flew up and into the air. The ones watching were impressed at the move, and Gai and his pupil were shocked since it was the same kick that Lee had used against Sasuke when he'd challenged him.

Sasuke jumped up and under him as he impersonated Lee's Kage buyo by placing two fingers against Abumi's back. "I'll stick to my own moves from this point on," he told the slightly startled teen.

He kicked at his opponent's left side but it was easily blocked. "It'll take more than that," the sound ninja told him.

The Konoha Genin smirked and executed a back hand strike to the face and Zaku exclaimed in pain as it connected. It was quickly followed by a straight punch to the gut that sent him back down and then a spin-around kick so the heel hit him in the center of his chest to slam him into the floor. _'Shishi Rendan!'_

Blood spilled past Zaku's mouth as he crashed into the ground and Sasuke rolled back and came to land in a crouch a few feet away. Hayate moved to check the sound-nin over and shook his head after a moment. "Winner is Uchiha Sasuke."

The dark haired boy stood with a sigh before wincing at the pain that shot through his body. _'That last move took a lot out of me. I guess it's not something I can use often,'_ he mused.

"You actually won, Sasuke-teme," Naruto yelled as his face parted in a grin. He clenched his hand in a fist before him. _'I'm going to win my match. I swear it!'_ His bangs fell over his slightly narrowed cerulean orbs.

Sasuke lifted his gaze to his teammates. Sakura only nodded to congratulate him and he returned it. Then he let a smirk work its way across his face as his dark eyes came to land on the grinning blonde. "Shut up, clown," he said before turning his attention to the medical ninja that walked up to him.

"We need to check you over as well, Uchiha-san," he told him as two other medic-nin carried Zaku off in a stretcher. He was about to refuse, but remembered that Eizan had gone. After nodding, he followed him out of the room but not before seeing the next two names. He was almost tempted to stay but shook his head and continued on.

There was a slight hush among the Rookie Nine as the next match was announced.

_Uzumaki Naruto  
vs.  
Inuzuka Kiba_

"Oh, thank you!" the wild leaf-nin cheered as he patted the small dog resting inside his jacket. "We can easily beat this guy, Akamaru!" He jumped over the railing as the blonde grinned at the pink haired kunoichi and then marched happily down the stairs.

Sakura watched her energetic teammate face his gloating opponent and turned to meet Kakashi's gaze. He winked with his one visible eye as she smirked and turned back to look at the over confident Konoha Genin. _'Kiba, you're in for a big surprise.'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sasuke walked along the corridor with his hands stuffed in his pockets as he peered in through every open doorway he passed. The medic-nin had quickly checked him over and then said he could return to watch the rest of the preliminaries, but he'd gone in search of the Suna shinobi instead. He'd passed the room where the Hyuuga Heiress had exited from, but he had ignored her and continued on.

Eizan's teammates were always around and never let him get too close to him, but this time would be different. Sasuke felt that he knew him from somewhere, and he also wanted to know what Orochimaru had done to alter his behavior so drastically.

He was almost to the last room and saw that the door was closed. Sasuke lifted a hand to the doorknob and paused as he heard something. When he stopped to listen, the sound of glass shattering met his ears. It was followed by the sounds of a struggle and a muffled curse. He strained his ears to hear the heated conversation that followed, and he was a bit startled as he identified the two voices.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"The seal is stronger now and should lessen the pain considerably, but keeping it under control is entirely up to you," Enoki spoke quietly to his subordinate. He stood in front of the closed door with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrows furrowed in a frown. "I don't think I need to tell you that if you let it, the curse seal will completely consume you."

"You're right," she muttered as she sat on the bed with her gaze fixed on the floor in front of her. "You don't need to tell me." Her hand was clamped over the mark but the pain wasn't as unbearable as before. Now she stood and glanced pointedly toward the door in a sign that she wanted him to leave.

Enoki's eyes narrowed as he studied her face a moment and then nodded. "Aa, dozo ki o tsukete," he said before forming the necessary seals to disappear in a puff of smoke.

Eizan frowned at the man's words and shook her head. "Don't say that to me," she said with a sigh. She pulled off her shirt so that she was only wearing the chain mail and protective vest. Her hands worked over the sore and stiff muscles of her neck and shoulders to relieve the tension that had built up.

"Why not let me help you with that?" a voice asked from behind her. It sent a strange shiver down her spine.

She gasped and spun around to lock eyes on the figure standing in front of the door. Eizan hadn't even sensed his presence as he'd appeared in the room and the door hadn't opened. "Who-?" she started to ask but remembered his name. After all, she'd heard it not too long ago. "What do you want?"

He watched her carefully and a smirk spread over his handsome features as she became automatically defensive and suspicious. "I just want to have a little chat," he said as his smirk turned into a grin.

The Suna kunoichi's eyes narrowed on him. She doubted that all he wanted was a few words as she stepped back. The curse seal had drained a considerable amount of her chakra and she didn't know how long she'd last in a fight. "Dame desu," she told him firmly.

He stepped toward her and she immediately took two steps back. It caused his grin to widen slightly. "I insist."-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1.** Itai:** It hurts (_lit._ Painful.)  
2. **kiku (kikimasu):** listen (basically it's sorta like a command, so it obeys only Anzai's chakra)  
3.** Hakkesho Kaiten: **_lit._ Eight Trigram Palms Heavenly Spin  
4.** Shishi Rendan: **_lit._ Lion Combo  
5.**Aa, dozo ki o tsukete: **Yes, please take care.  
6. **Dame desu: **Out of the question/Impossible/No good.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Seventeen**_


	19. The End of the Preliminaries

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri Linked to 'Caught In The Rain'

**AN: **Sweet mother of God, I'm alive! I was really sick and this parasite was sticking to my stomach and my managers were being real jerks about me missing work, even if it was their fault! Yeah, I work at the restaurant I got food poisioning at and I'm so pissed that they didn't do anything about it. Bastards are lucky it wasn't a customer, blah. Watch out boys and girls, check your meat because you might have eaten at this place yourselves once or twice. Anyway, here is the long overdue chapter, ending the preliminaries! Enjoy. (PS: look for 'Omake 1!: Chance Meetings' soon. It'll most likely be posted between chapters 19 and 20. Not sure if there will be any more after that...maybe in GoD. -shrug- Excuse the mispelling in this author note, I lost my beta T.T Please review! x.x)

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Eighteen: The End of the Preliminaries**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The fourth match had been surprising, since a lot of people hadn't expected the blonde to be so strong. The people of his home village had thought him a screw up that wouldn't ever be a good shinobi, but he'd proven them wrong. He'd defeated Inuzuka Kiba to proceed to the third part of the exam, and he'd exceeded the level of skill of a mere Genin.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. He knew that the blonde had improved but not this much. For a while Naruto had been skipping out early on training and the copy-ninja had thought that he'd been goofing off. He'd found out from Sasuke, or all people, that he'd been training with Haku.

Thinking of the raven-haired youth, he wondered where he had gone. The Hatake merely shrugged since he was confident that the Uchiha wouldn't get in as much trouble as the Uzumaki usually did.

Said blonde was making his way toward them with that familiar grin plastered on his face. The Jonin had always pondered on how much of his cheerfulness was an act. After all, one didn't live a childhood like Naruto's without having a few scars.

The Genin probably opted to grin and bear the pain, but Kakashi wondered how much he could take until he reached his breaking point. It was likely that those few that accepted him were what kept him from giving up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, you're Orochimaru's errand boy, huh?" she asked as her back met the wall. Eizan was literally trapped between the wall and the sword, since he'd backed her into a corner and her chakra reverses were too low to fight him. She didn't see any other options opening up and now she had nowhere to go.

He chuckled softly as he rested a hand on his right hip and brushed a few long gray strands of hair from his smooth features. The band-aid that had crossed the bridge of his nose was gone, and there was no sign of a healing wound or that any had ever been inflicted. "More or less," he admitted. "But right now I'm a delivery boy."

Eizan narrowed her eyes and her hand moved toward her kunai holster. Her arms had been crossed but now she knew that she'd have to fight. She'd have to resort to plain taijutsu. "Reduced to handling his mail?"

"Not exactly," he muttered with a laugh. He suddenly lunged at her and knocked over the table that separated them so the glass on top shattered on the ground. Even if she was fast, he proved to possess a greater speed.

Eizan cried out instinctively and tried to evade him, but his hands caught hold of her. A series of curses left her mouth as she fought against him, but a moment later she was being slammed harshly into the wall behind her. She couldn't stop the whimper that slipped past her lips as pain gripped her.

"You're the package I've been ordered to deliver, but he didn't say I had to be careful of damage," he growled as he pressed his face against her hair. "So, unless you like bleeding, then I suggest you come along quietly."

She frowned and continued to struggle within the grip. "Like hell I will," she snarled between clenched teeth. He had twisted her arm behind her back and now he lifted it higher until she thought it would break. She refused to cry out.

Yakushi Kabuto grinned and pressed his body against her back. "Why stay in the company of one who treats you so badly?" His grin widened when he felt her flinch. "He's never going to change and you'll continue to suffer with that unrequited love."

The fire user's body stiffened, and his words seemed to ring for several long seconds in her ears. "Urusei," she whispered. She felt a tingling starting at the back of her head and then it spread over her entire body.

Suddenly, an outpour of chakra unlike anything she'd ever felt before infused every fiber of her being. She didn't care at the moment where it was coming from and just used it. The pain of the curse seal vanished in the wake of this tremendous power.

The older ninja hissed in pain as he released Eizan and jumped back. He was stunned at the amount of chakra and killing intent that was flowing off the small girl like waves. In that instant he realized why Orochimaru wanted this girl. However, he knew that he wouldn't have any chance in taking her. They'd have to rely on the Sannin's other plan.

Kabuto quickly formed seals. "You will come to Orochimaru-sama, willingly or not." Then he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Eizan collapsed to her knees when he was gone and tried to reign in the gargantuan chakra that threatened to consume her. She tried to stand but only crumpled to the floor in a sitting position and she took in deep breaths as her head rested against the wall.

She was so engrossed in calming down that she didn't hear the door open. "You're a kunoichi?" a confused voice startled her.

When she lifted her gaze it was to see a slightly stunned Sasuke. A smirk spread over her face as his eyes traveled the length of her uncertainly before glancing away.

She hadn't replaced her shirt and thus he'd be able to see the curve of her breasts since the chain mail shirt was designed to fit her like a second skin. Also, the protective vest didn't hide much.

"I'm a ninja," she said as she stood. She recovered her discarded shirt and slipped it over her head. When she turned back to look at him she saw that he was fixing her with a glare. She sighed and pushed back her long bangs before readjusting her Suna hitai-ate. "You're quite troublesome, Uchiha-san," she muttered. "Hai, I'm a girl but I don't think I ever said otherwise."

Sasuke frowned and stuffed his hands into his pockets, and quickly looked her over again. He had noticed before that she had possessed some feminine qualities but since she'd been wearing guys' clothing, he had assumed that she was a boy. "You don't act like a girl," he defended his error. She was completely different from the girls of his village.

Eizan laughed and shook her head. "Did you want me to drool over you and swoon every time you came near me?" she asked before snorting. "No thanks. I have self-respect."

The Uchiha didn't quite know how to respond to that. Ashikaga Eizan was definitely a strange person and so familiar. "What's your real name?" he asked her. "Why is Orochimaru after you and me?" He was standing between her and the door so he'd ensure that she didn't escape.

Eizan smirked as she plopped down on the single bed within the room. She rested her hands slightly behind and on either side of her, and leaned her weight against them as she crossed one leg over the other. "Why are you so interested in me, _Sasuke-kun_?" she asked as her voice took a taunting tone. "Have you got a crush on me?"

She grinned when she saw his left eye twitch in annoyance and continued on before he could say anything. "Or is it that nagging feeling that you've met me some where, but you just can't remember where?" The widening of his eyes was all the answer she needed.

Sasuke took a single step forward. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. He looked like he was prepared to force it out of her if he needed to.

Eizan was only amused by his reactions. "That's too easy," she sighed. "Finding out is half the fun!" Her hands started to form seals before he could react. "I will say one thing, the Itachi I knew would never have killed them." She formed the last seal and vanished within the smoke that appeared around her, the smirk still on her features.

The Uchiha cursed vehemently and turned away. He paused and tilted his head in thought for a while before leaving the room. The kunochi's words had increased his desire to know her identity, and for the first time he questioned his belief that his brother had killed his clan and parents.

While he had always been detached from everything around him, he had never thought Itachi to be cruel enough to slaughter his entire clan. That had been one of the main reasons that Sasuke had been so hurt by his betrayal.

'_Are her words a lie or the truth?'_ he asked himself suddenly. The Sharingan user knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he knew the answer.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan appeared just as the fifth match ended and held up a hand in greeting to her teammates before moving to stand in between them. "So, that baka won his match?" she asked and almost looked surprised as the wind user confirmed with a nod that Kankurou had indeed won.

Iwane rested her arms along the rail and leaned a bit forward. "You missed the blonde's fight," she commented with a grin. "He won, and the level of skill he showed was impressive."

Eizan gave a nod and would take her word for it. After all, Iwane had the sharpest eyes out of the three of them and would have seen the details better.

Amane stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked toward the scoreboard. "You already knew he would win, didn't you?" she asked suddenly.

The fire user didn't even let her eyes move away from the front as her gaze switched to the scoreboard as well. "What ever gave you that idea?" she countered but didn't refuse the claim.

A moment later, the sixth match was determined.

_Hideaki Takejiro  
__vs.  
__Hideaki Sanako_

The two teammates glanced at each other and moved down the stairs to stand in front of Hayate. Haku was almost five inches taller than her and still growing, and one could tell by looking at them that they weren't related. They had informed anyone that asked that he was a distant cousin by marriage and had been adopted when his parents had been killed by thieves. He had survived because he had been sent to buy supplies in the nearest town.

His skills had been explained by saying that his father had once been a ninja but had been injured and forced to retire. That's how he'd learned the skills required to be made into a Genin.

Other than that, they hadn't elaborated on his background or his parents' murder, and people took it as a sign that it was a delicate subject for the boy. Not even Anzai and Sanako knew the truth but lately Haku had been debating with the idea of telling them. He trusted them, but he had no idea how they'd react.

They had already become two of his precious people, just like Naruto. The former nukenin wondered if perhaps the Uchiha would allow himself to become a friend to Haku as well. He was far too detached from everyone else for him to know for sure.

"Don't even think of going easy on me, Take-kun," the apprentice medic-nin told him. She slipped into her fighting stance with a practiced ease as she bent her knees and relaxed her entire body. Her left hand was open with the palm at her stomach and facing the ground as the other hovered closer to her shoulder with the palm facing forward.

Haku knew that Hideaki Akiko-san was an accomplished medical ninja and had been training her daughter for the last few years when she wasn't on a mission or working at the hospital. So, he knew that even if she didn't look it, Sanako was a formidable opponent.

The fact that she used her chakra to make her hands as sharp as a scalpel was one reason to not take her likely. As well as her knowledge of the human anatomy and the amount of damage her hands could make on his delicate insides. After all, one couldn't strengthen their internal organs as one did to muscles.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sanako-san," he responded and slipped into his familiar stance. He had never been able to completely embrace the shinobi philosophy but would for the sake of those precious to him. So, he wondered how he could do that when he was facing one of them in this battle of a "synthetic" war.

He figured that he'd try to finish her right away so as not to prolong the fight. Of course he wouldn't hurt her too badly because it was inevitable to avoid being hurt in a fight. The best bet would be to use his senbon to hit pressure points to numb or immobilize her limbs.

The Hideaki girl frowned slightly as she let her eyes move over her teammate's stance. She had seen him train on several different occasions and she knew his aim and precision were sharp and infallible almost every time. This would be a difficult fight but she already knew the outcome. Even so, she'd give this fight her all. Her dream was to surpass her mother as a great medic-nin and make her proud.

"You may begin," the proctor announced after he coughed once against his hand. Even though his sickly pallor indicated that he was ready to collapse, he was as capable as any other ninja.

Sanako had already started to perform her jutsu and gather chakra to her hands. _'__Shosen Jutsu!'_ She lunged at him but not as wildly as her brother would have done. Her attacks and advances always had a purpose. When she thrust with her right hand he dodged to his right and she followed her attack with her left hand.

Haku jumped back as her left hand grazed his stomach and it cut almost completely through his clothing but he had managed to avoid it. He almost grinned as he realized that she was taking this fight seriously. Sanako was very serious about her dream to become a high level medic-nin and so would try to pass this exam with everything she had.

He let his sleeves cover his hands and flicked them forward as six senbon flew toward her. They were aimed so they would only stop and not kill her. It wasn't surprising when she deflected them with her chakra-enhanced hands. As she was doing that he was using his speed to get closer to her.

She cursed as she turned at the last second and felt a senbon impale her body and thus numbing her right arm. If it would have been her left then she might have been far worse off since it was her dominant arm. She extracted three kunai and flung them as the boy approached and rushed after them.

He blocked and she struck with her left arm and it hit his left bicep at the same time that his own fist connected with her stomach. She clenched her teeth to keep from crying out as she stumbled back. After a moment she straightened and lifted her left arm and fell into her stance once more.

Haku was favoring his left arm as he tried not to move it. He was sure the muscle had been torn but he was only glad that she hadn't attacked his vital organs or he'd be done for. Now he lunged at her at the same time that she came at him as well. His senbon and her kunai met with a resounding clash as the other ninja watched.

His strength was greater as she was forced back but she refused to lose as she channeled chakra to help her push back. He knew that if this went on then she'd be more hurt and so he let his hold loosen. When she became unbalanced he stepped back and used senbon to paralyze her other arm.

Sanako winced and moved back several steps before standing straight. She frowned before sighing and blowing a few strands of her hair with her breath. "I lose," she said and bowed toward Haku before smirking. "Although, I already knew I would."

Haku also stood out of his stance and smiled gently at his adoptive younger sister that acted more like his nee-san. "Gomen about your arms," he said. "The feeling should return in an hour."

They moved off to the gallery above as Hayate declared Takejiro the winner of the match. There was a cacophony of voices among the ninja gathered but they quieted when the seventh match was determined.

_Erizawa Iwane  
__vs.  
__Haruno Sakura_

Sakura's eyes widened as she saw her name but wondered who her opponent would be. She glanced around and saw the Suna team they had encountered while battling Orochimaru. The black haired ninja was grinning at the tallest member. Then he hopped over the railing and the kunoichi paled. _'I have to fight __**him**__?'_ she almost squeaked.

"Sakura," Kakashi distracted her from staring at her opponent and glanced at her instructor. His face was serious and she knew that he rarely was, so that meant his words were not to be taken lightly. "The warriors of the sand are fearsome. Be very careful."

The girl gulped and nodded before making her way down the stairs. She had been training hard and had improved, but knew she couldn't win. Her experiences had proven over and over that male ninja were stronger than kunoichi.

Iwane faced the pink haired shinobi and grinned slightly at her. "Don't worry, I don't bite too hard," she said and saw the startled look on the other's face. She moved her head and popped her neck before spreading her feet into a very relaxed stance. "Ready when you are."

It was with stiff movements that Sakura shifted into a basic taijutsu stance. The one her opponent had taken didn't even seem like a stance and wondered how strong he was. She used her sharp mind to assess the situation and came out with the same conclusion: she was going to lose.

Lifting a hand, Iwane smirked and motioned for her to come at her as Hayate said they could start. "Come on," she told her. Sakura started to form seals quickly.

_'Bunshin,'_ the earth user mused. The three figures ran at Iwane.

The taller girl smirked and formed seals. _'Doton, __Shichuro no Jutsu!'_ She slammed her hands against the ground and it started to shake as the pink haired girl stopped. Four walls of earth rose around her and the clones, and then sealed at the top.

Iwane straightened and stepped close to the prison and tapped on it loud enough for her to hear. "You should give up unless you want to suffocate," she chirped with a smile but her eyes were cold. She walked around the prison of dirt and stopped to press an ear against one of the walls.

"Don't give up, Sakura-chan!" a voice yelled from overhead and the Suna-nin glanced up at the blonde. Emerald locked with blue as she grinned at him.

"You're a loud one, aren't ya?" she asked him. She heard Amane snort sardonically and glanced at her with a sheepish grin. "That's not nice, Amane-kun... huh?" She was distracted as she heard something and turned to the prison of earth.

One of the walls exploded out to create a large hole and a figure jumped out. Iwane's eyebrows lifted in slight surprise before she smirked. "Sou ka. She manipulated her chakra to give herself greater strength," she muttered under her breath. "This might be more interesting than I first thought."

They started to fight once again with the leaf-nin manipulating her chakra to give her greater speed and strength. Iwane wasn't able to avoid one of the hits but she recovered easily since she was use to Eizan's own enhanced punches during training.

"I'm getting bored," she mused after a few minutes and quickly formed seals. She faded from sight as Sakura's eyes widened, but she knew enough about Genjutsu to see through this. It was obvious that the next thing she saw would be an illusion.

The ground started to shake underneath her feet and she narrowed her eyes and glanced around but the room had also faded to be replaced by wall made of rock. Even if it was an illusion she couldn't see through it. Then the ground rose to form a hand made of dirt and it lunged at her. She was shocked to realize that it was real.

Sakura jumped away to avoid it but she came into the grasp of another hand that clamped around her. She gasped as it tightened, but it only held her in place. It was clear that she had lost. "I give up," she muttered and hung her head. "I should have known."

Iwane materialized in front of her but the walls, which turned out to be real, didn't fade from around them. There was a grin on the Suna shinobi's face. "If you trained more you could be a formidable opponent. You have a sharp mind that makes Genjutsu useless against you."

She flicked her wrist and the hand released her. When she stumbled, the other helped her stand. "But you have to work twice as hard since you've probably been fussing with your looks instead of training." The leaf-nin pulled away and glared at her. "You can be a strong kunoichi, like me," she boasted.

The earth user winked and turned away as the walls crumbled into dust and the rest of the room was visible once more. Iwane didn't notice the stunned look on Haruno's face. _'She's a girl?'_ She blinked and looked her over and suddenly saw it. _'An simple illusion against her skin. You couldn't be able to detect it unless you were looking for it.'_

"Winner is Erizawa Iwane!" Hayate called out. When the two ninja of the seventh match departed the floor, the eighth fight started to be determined.

_Aburame Shino  
__vs.  
__Yamanaka Ino_

The two opponents faced off as Gekkou Hayate announced that they could start. Ino shifted into a fighting stance and prepared to attack when she felt something crawling up her leg. She looked down to see several bugs on her as she screamed that she gave up. Shino called off his bugs as the blonde kunoichi stood completely still.

"Aburame Shino is the winner," Hayate declared. It had been a smart move to quit, since otherwise it might have turned out badly for her. The two leaf-nin left the arena as the next match started to be determined.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Orochimaru was leaning against the outside wall of the tower when a figure appeared kneeling besides him. "Orochimaru-sama," he muttered. His head was lowered and his left knee and hand touched the ground.

"Where is the girl, Kabuto?" he asked him but his voice was almost taunting. It was as if he already knew the answer and was merely playing with him. "Was she perhaps too much for you to handle?"

Kabuto clenched his hand and gritted his teeth in anger. "Sumimasen, but I didn't expect her to be so powerful," he confessed. "She didn't seem that strong when I encountered her and yet she was able to release such massive chakra without the curse seal affecting her."

The Sannin chuckled and continued to glance off into the forest that surrounded them. "I trust that you can get her to come with us?" he asked. He wanted to make sure he could before they made their move. "Are you sure you can break her?"

Kabuto nodded and pressed his lips into a thin bloodless line. "Hai, I can break her spirit and you'll have control of her."

A grin spread over Orochimaru's pale features. "Good."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The ninth match against Temari and Tenten had ended rather quickly with the Suna-nin shutting down the other's weapons attack and defeating her. And the tenth match with Shikamaru versus Kin Tsuchi of Oto hadn't lasted too long either with the leaf-nin winning the match.

Now the eleventh match had just ended and it had been shocking to watch as Sabaku no Gaara had fought against Rock Lee of Konoha. Once again it had been the sand shinobi that had won but it had been difficult for him since he had had a formidable opponent. The red head had been shocked when Gai had stepped in to defend Lee even if it had meant he was immediately disqualified.

The boy's body had become severely injured and his arm and leg were crushed, but even so he had gotten to his feet. Gai had been moved to tears with his determination and then the medical ninja had taken him away, but not before delivering some crushing news to the Jonin. Lee would never be able to be a ninja anymore since his injuries had been too severe.

The twelfth match was announced. There were only four more that hadn't fought yet and so it was easy to determined the last two fights.

_Itagaki Amane  
__vs.  
__Akado Yoroi_

The two ninja faced each other and waited for Hayate to tell them they could begin and it soon came. Amane shifted into a fighting stance as her eyes drifted closed and she lifted her arms with her right curled into a fist at her chest, and the other palm forward parallel to her shoulder. The strands of her now shorter, even dark brown hair had been pulled into a ponytail, but a few of them fell into her calm features.

Yoroi was slightly confused but figured that it was to his advantage. When the proctor told them to begin he pulled out three shuriken and flung them in her direction as his right hand started to glow. He rushed forward with a smirk as he anticipated a quick ending to this match.

Amane's ears picked up the sounds of the projectiles whizzing toward her as she withdrew three senbon and threw them forward so they cancelled each other out. Her head tilted to the left to avoid the leaf-nin's hand and then she jumped back to slide a few feet as she threw several senbon at the same time.

He hissed as a needle impaled his left shoulder and abdomen. It had been quite surprising that she'd been able to block, dodge and successfully attack with her eyes closed. Akado realized that her hearing was extremely advanced and most likely surpassed most of the people in this room. He'd have to be careful since she could most likely hear his heartbeat, so any other moves he made she would easily hear.

A moment after he pulled out the senbon he lunged forward and swung his arm forward to attack, but it missed and he hit the ground as it cracked around his fingers. He winced as a kick connected with the side of his head and he flew to the side. A figure appeared beside him and kicked him into the air this time, and then she appeared above him and knocked him back down to the ground.

Amane came down with her knees on his midsection as he cried out and blood spilled from his mouth. She felt him go limp beneath her as she stood and opened her eyes before glancing at Hayate with a raised eyebrow.

'_I don't even have to check,'_ the Jonin thought as he still checked him over. "He's finished. The winner is Itagaki Amane." He motioned for the medic-nin to take him away as the kunoichi turned and walked back to her place.

As she came to stop beside Iwane, the earth user glanced at her and smirked. "You just had to show off, didn't you?" she asked her, but the other merely smirked instead of responding. After all, she had defeated him without the use of any type of jutsu.

_Dosu Kinuta  
__vs.  
__Akimichi Chouji_

The leaf-nin glanced at the one that he was supposed to face and wondered just how good of a fighter he was. He had seen the other two Oto-nin fight, but he hadn't noticed anything special since they had both lost against shinobi from Konoha.

A few minutes later and he was on the ground, beaten. He hadn't expected him to be able to attack him while he was rolled up into his inflated body. It was just as well since the third exam would consist of the strongest fighters and he didn't feel like facing anyone, especially that red head from Suna.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sanako had wanted to jump down into his match and help him but her arms had still been incapacitated. He'd lost but she knew that given the chance he could have given his opponent a run for his money. She strongly believed in his strength.

"He lost, no surprise there," Anzai muttered as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. A moment later was sprawled on the floor, his head smoking from where he'd been knocked down by the enraged kunoichi, who had seemed to miraculously regain feeling back into her arms at that moment.

Take helped his teammate up with a sigh. "You should wear a gag when around Sanako," he said quietly. The other couldn't really respond since he was still disoriented.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The final matches for the third part of the exam were decided, and the paper that showed whom they would fight was held out for them to see. Eizan narrowed her eyes and just made them out.

Iwane grinned before she started laughing. It was loud and almost malicious so she drew everyone's attention. "You and me are gonna duke it out!" she exclaimed as she turned to look at Amane. "I hope you can at least give me a good work out."

The wind user smirked as her eyes narrowed slightly. "I've been waiting for this," she merely responded.

Eizan shushed her two teammates down and looked over the rest of the matches.

_Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuuga Neji  
__Erizawa Iwane vs. Itagaki Amane  
__Aburame Shino vs. Kankurou  
__Temari vs. Nara Shikamaru  
__Hideaki Takejiro vs. Ashikaga Eizan  
__Sabaku no Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke vs. Dosu Kinuta_

Her gaze shifted toward her opponent and saw him turned his attention toward her. His light brown eyes locked with her crimson tinted orbs as she smirked slightly. She hadn't seen him fight too long but she hoped he was a worthy adversary.

"We need to talk," Eizan heard close to her ear as her eyes widened and her mouth parted in shock. She hadn't even heard the scarlet haired ninja approach. "Tonight."

"Hai, Gaara-dono," she mumbled, too stunned to say anything else. When she turned he was already gone but she noticed both girls looking toward the doors at the right that had just closed. The fire user swallowed the lump in her throat before sighing.

She knew that whatever he had to tell her had to do with their plans with Otogakure, but there was a foreboding in the back of her mind. Something was going to happen, and she only wished she knew what her fate would be after it was all over.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1. **Urusei: **shut up  
2. **Shosen Jutsu:** _lit._ "Mystical Palm Technique"  
3. **Doton, Shichuro no Jutsu: **_lit. _**"**Earth Release, Four Pillars Prison Technique"; it has the same name as Yamato's jutsu, but this requires earth, of course.  
4. **Sou ka:** I see  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Eighteen**_


	20. Otogakure's Conditions

_**Glimpses of Fire**_**  
****Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri Linked to 'Caught In The Rain'

**AN:** This is posted today in memory of that beautiful LemonED god, the fushia flame, the pink spider that stole our hearts and then broke them when he passed forever from this world. Matsumoto Hideto, this one is for you. May you rest in peace. Ever free.

"_Oh I fell in love with your screen dream  
celluloid pictures in living  
your death could not kill our love for you...  
your cigarette traces a ladder to the stars__"__  
__'__2hb__'__ by roxy music__  
_  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Nineteen: Otogakure's Conditions**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan was nervous and it wasn't a very comfortable feeling. They had already left the forest and were now back at their room in the ryokan with Iwane hogging the shower first as always. She had tried to put tonight's meeting with Gaara out of her mind but she couldn't stop thinking about it. The words had sent shivers down her spine and alarm bells ringing in her mind.

'_Something's wrong,'_ she told herself but she didn't know what to do to correct it. She had already noticed that Gaara had started to act strange ever since they had found out they'd be participating in the Chunin Exam.

Perhaps it had to do with the plan or maybe it was something else completely different. Either way, she was worried, but she couldn't voice her thoughts to him since she knew he'd never tell her anything. He never did.

Amane was sitting on one of the folding chairs on the balcony and so she was alone with her thoughts as she listened to the sound of the shower. It was almost soothing to her nerves but she was still anxious and would continue to be until later that night when she met up with Gaara. He hadn't told her where to meet, but she had always been able to find him through his distinctive chakra.

She had removed her top shirt and it lay on the bed besides her along with her hitai-ate. Her long bangs fell around and into her face but she made no move to push the strands away. She was too engrossed in her thoughts so she didn't even hear Amane reenter the room or Iwane leave the shower.

"Eizan-sama?" she heard one of them speak. Her eyes lifted to see the matching worried expressions on both girl's faces.

A smirk spread over her lips as she stood. "Can't I space out without you getting worried?" she asked before throwing her towel over her shoulder and entering the bathroom. "I'm next." The door closed with a quiet click, but the two kunoichi continued to look after her with the same expression.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

There was a distinctive chill in the air over Konohagakure that night. The heavens had been painted black and dotted with pinpricks of light. The moon was full and provided illumination if any should happen to be outside.

The sound of a jutsu tearing through a roof had resounded through the night and two figures had jumped away from the destruction. One was a Suna-nin and the other was a leaf shinobi.

Baki cursed vehemently as he pursued the man. It was true what he had said that a blade of wind couldn't be stopped, but he hadn't expected the man to avoid it! The sand-nin was cursing his miscalculation of the younger man's skills.

For a moment he wished he had allowed Kabuto to dispose of the leaf-nin, but he'd been confident enough that he'd be able to kill him. Now he was regretting his over confidence. He knew that he couldn't allow the other man to escape after what he'd heard or their plans would fail.

A stroke of good luck hit as he noticed that they were headed in Gaara's direction. Also, that another figure was moving over the rooftops and would meet up with them if both their paces continued. Baki felt relief flood through him when he saw that it was Ashikaga Eizan.

The Konoha shinobi stopped as he landed on the same roof as the younger ninja and turned so he could keep both of them in his sights. Eizan had stopped almost instinctively and looked from Baki to Hayate with a slightly confused expression.

"He knows about the plan," Baki told her and she understood that he had to be dealt with.

She didn't know what the plan itself was but that no one within Konoha must know about it. However, she didn't wish to kill the man but _would_ deal with him as Gaara had instructed.

Baki attacked the man and she jumped back and formed seals quickly. This was a jutsu that she'd learned through her father's memories which had been intended only for a practical joke.

She'd modified it so that it would be useful in certain battles and now she'd see if it worked. She'd done this for a reason, but she'd never expected to ever use it.

'_Ninpou, Ten no Hi Yaiba.'_ The jutsu shot toward them but Baki wasn't able to get away in time. It hit both men head on.

Baki closed his eyes as he waited for death and after a moment where he felt nothing he opened his eyes. It was in time to see a dozen blades of fire hitting the leaf-nin and his screams of pain chilled him. He could only watch with eyes wide with horror as the man was reduced to chucks of flesh and blood, but even most of that was burned into only ash.

When it was all over he stumbled back as a wave of nausea washed over him and he fell on his ass. He covered his face with his hands as he tried to regain his equilibrium.

After a moment he looked to where the Jonin had once been but only parts of his bloodied Chunin vest, bits of clothing and his katana remained. The ground around where Hayate had been standing before had been badly scorched.

He took in several deep breaths and glanced over at Eizan. She had fresh blood smeared across her left cheek but she held a blank expression. As he watched, a smirk crossed over her lips as her tongue flicked out to the side of her mouth to lick the blood away before she turned and hopped away.

'_Bakemono,'_ Baki could only think as he shuddered and quickly left the surrounding area before anyone came to investigate what the commotion had been about.

Meanwhile, Eizan darted out of a dark alley way and proceeded toward her meeting with Gaara. Her uneasy feelings hadn't faded but she steeled her resolve. She was a shinobi and more importantly, Gaara's tool. He would use her as he saw fit and she couldn't say a thing since she'd pledged her loyalty and free-will to him long ago.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A lone figure was seen perched on the carp that had been carved into the roof's design. In the moonlight his hair looked black as his turquoise orbs peered into the darkness. One knee was bent and held against his chest and the other leg hung slightly over the edge.

It was already three hours after dusk and Eizan appeared on the rooftop slightly below him. She was kneeling with her right knee and hand touching the ground beneath. It was quiet for several seconds before either of them spoke.

"Gaara-dono," Eizan muttered as her bangs fell into her eyes to hide them from view. She didn't say anything else to him and waited for the red head to acknowledge her.

She noticed that most of the roof had been damaged by something, and that there was a corpse that she identified as the Oto-nin that had passed onto the third part of the exam. Eizan knew it wasn't wise to ask since tonight was a full moon and it was one of the times where Shukaku craved blood more than ever.

He finally turned to look at her and she saw that his eyes held no emotion in them. She should have been use to it by now but she couldn't stop the shudder that went through her. There was something in them that caused that feeling of dread to return.

"Sunagakure will join Otogakure to destroy Konoha during the third part of the exam," Gaara bluntly told her. He watched her face for her reaction and he saw surprise and horror. "You don't approve?" The question was asked in the same monotone but she saw his eyes narrow.

Eizan let her face drop back down when she realized that he had seen the look on her face. The idea that Suna would attack Konoha with Oto was shocking. Also, she didn't wish for that to happen since a lot of innocent people would die in the process, as well as ninja.

Naruto and Sasuke's faces came unbidden to her mind as she stiffened. _'What will happen to them?'_

Not to mention her own teammates. If the attack took place then they would be targeted by leaf-nin when they weren't even past the Genin level. She knew that it shouldn't matter but whether she wanted to admit it or not, Amane and Iwane had become important to her.

To view them as human beings was a mistake for a ninja. It was more prudent for her to see all around her as potential enemies, but she was human in the end, they all were.

"Sumimasen, but it was just surprising," she finally answered. It was a lie since she really didn't approve as he had said.

Eizan knew that during the Shinobi Wars there had been many that had died. Even Academy students had perished as well as civilians. It had been nothing but death and sorrow in the end.

They had finalized the treaty and then Hi and Kaze no Kuni had become allies. Now they would break it and cause unnecessary bloodshed all over again.

Gaara watched her carefully and noticed when she had stiffened before she had answered him. He could tell that she didn't want to be a part of a plan that would result in the death of so many.

'_She will only hinder your purpose,'_ the voice of the Kazekage came back to him. _'If you have no purpose then why are you alive?'_

"There is a compromise between the two villages," he spoke again. He watched as her face lifted once again. Gaara wanted to see the look on her face when he told her what her role would be.

"Oto will help Suna crush the leaf and then you will be given over to them." He watched her face slacken with confusion and then her eyes widened almost comically, it almost made him laugh. "You've always wished to be wanted by someone." He tilted his head slightly. "Now someone wants you."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The blonde shinobi paused in his training as he felt a shiver of power pass through the very air around him. He lifted his head and frowned as he tried to figure out what it was. Over the last months that Haku had been within Konoha he had been helping Naruto out in some areas he was lacking in. His aim had improved as well as his ability to sense chakra and even control his own.

"What the heck was that?" he mumbled to himself. The chakra signal had been strong and very close by, so he decided to investigate. He moved freely through the trees since he had already gotten the hang of tree climbing but there was still something wrong with his chakra. It had been that way ever since they had encountered that grass-nin.

Naruto came to stop in a clearing as he felt another pulse of power slam into him so he stumbled. He broke through the trees and froze.

A figure was on their hands and knees and chakra flowed around them like black fire. As he watched the person emitted another pulse and then the chakra manifested into wings of fire that spread five feet from their back.

The trees surrounding the person were eradicated into nothing but ash and the ground was scorched. It had even been necessary for Naruto to stumble back a few steps since the chakra had been a burning heat.

A few seconds later the chakra signature flickered and then died completely. The blonde could only stare at the person before moving toward them cautiously. He was six feet away when he recognized them and he rushed the rest of the way.

"Eizan-nii-san?" he called to the other "boy" and shook him slightly. He hissed as he pulled his hand away since the shirt had been burned away but not the chain mail shirt which had become super heated. Also, he realized something else. Eizan was a girl.

"Naruto-san?" she asked quietly, her voice breaking on a sob. She was still resting on her hands and knees and now she crumbled to the ground. "I..."

"What's wrong?" he asked her. He hesitantly reached out and realized that the chain mail had cooled rapidly now that the chakra had faded from around her. "What happened?" When he pulled her up and against him she didn't even struggle. Her whole body had gone completely limp.

Eizan lifted her head as tears spilled past her eyelids. "Naruto, I...wish I was dead," she whispered.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_**-An hour earlier-**_

"Nani?" she asked him as her dark eyes widened in shock. For a second she thought she had heard him wrong but she knew she hadn't. "What are you talking about?"

Gaara had turned away by now and was looking out into the darkness once more. "Suna has agreed to give you to Oto in exchange for their help in crushing Konoha."

Eizan felt her blood run cold at his words and then she was shaking her head. "I won't go," she growled. "I won't let that bastard Kazekage trade me like a possession."

The scarlet haired shinobi was quiet for a moment before he finally answered. "He isn't the one trading you. I am."

His words felt like a knife in her chest as she stared at him in disbelief. "Wakarimasen," Eizan mumbled. She was stunned by his words. "I want to stay by your side."

He shook his head. "I don't want you near me. Why would I?" Gaara turned cold eyes on her now. "You're useless and insignificant. Your very presence is stifling me."

Eizan stared at him with wide eyes and didn't even notice that she had stood up. The wind had picked up but she didn't even feel it. Her dark orbs locked with his turquoise ones as he peered down at her from his perch. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Get out of my sight," he finally told her and turned away. He didn't even acknowledge her anymore as she remained where she was for a whole minute.

She turned away to hide the tears that had started to slide down her cheeks. "Sumimasen, Gaara-dono," she choked out before she jumped down and disappeared into the darkened streets of the village.

When she had left Gaara turned to look at the place she had been standing in. His pale features were twisted into a frown and his hands were clenched into fists. "It...it's for the best," he told himself, but not even he believed it at the moment.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The raven haired preteen lifted his head as he saw a flash of blonde out of the corner of his eye. He turned expecting to see his teammate leaving the forest and was quite surprised at what he saw. It was Naruto but he held up another person slightly shorter than him.

It took Sasuke only a moment to realize that it was Ashikaga Eizan, the kunoichi from Suna. What he didn't know was why Naruto was dragging her away from the forest in the middle of the night. He was more than curious and so he tailed them at a distance.

He followed until they reached Naruto's apartment and he came to land on the roof and listened as they entered. The blonde's voice was clear and he was asking her what had happened but he got no response.

After several attempts to get her to talk with no success, he left her alone, but Sasuke continued to listen. When a whole minute had passed without any movement he was about to leave, but paused as he heard something. Eizan was sobbing quietly.

The sound caused a chill to pass over him. She had appeared like a strong person ever since he had seen her, so he was a bit confused. Sasuke wondered what could have happened to have reduced her to tears.

When he left she was still crying, but it was getting to him. Besides, it was late. He shouldn't have even been here because he needed to train hard for the third part of the exam.

Kakashi was over seeing his training since he had mastered the use of the Sharingan, and was the best qualified since there were no other users of the Uchiha bloodline. He wondered if Itachi and he would be the last ones to have the eyes, since their whole clan had been killed off.

Thinking of his brother made him remember the kunoichi's words to him earlier that day. _'The Itachi I knew would never have killed them.'_ He would ask her what her words had meant but he knew that tonight wasn't the best time to ask.

'_I wonder what happened,'_ he couldn't help but wonder. He knew that his question would remain unanswered since he wouldn't ask. Besides, he had other more pressing questions, which included her relation with his past.

For now he turned away and hopped off the roof and headed toward his empty house. He would have preferred to keep on training but it was late and he had already pushed his body well past its present limits. Tomorrow was a new day and soon he would make sure to meet up with the Ashikaga female.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane and Iwane were frantic with worry since Eizan hadn't come back in three nights since she had left to meet up with Gaara. They had tried to interrogate the red head but he hadn't even paid them attention beyond telling them that he hadn't seen her since that night. It went without saying that they suspected that he had done something to her, and they were terrified to think that he could have killed her.

If that were the truth then they'd do everything in their power to avenge her. Even if they died trying they were bound to Eizan by more than an oath. Eizan was one of the few friends they had ever had and weren't willing to lose her to anything. They'd forsake their lives for hers.

It was almost the fourth night when they felt her chakra signature. They were flooded with relief and raced toward it. At the edge of the forest the two girls paused and glanced at each other before nodding and going in. It was several minutes before they reached the clearing her chakra was emanating from.

She was training and only briefly glanced at them and went back to what she had been doing. There was no indication from her that she'd ever been gone. However, they could see the shadows under her reddened eyes, which was from lack of sleep or tears being shed.

They waited until she spoke to them. It was obvious that she had let them feel her chakra for a reason. If not, then they would never have found her if she wanted it that way. Her chakra manipulation might be lower than Amane's but her stealth skills were superior since she could expertly hide her chakra and even the most skilled shinobi wouldn't be able to find her.

Finally, she spoke to them. "You won't fight each other during the third exam," she said without looking at them. "Suna will be aided by Oto to destroy Konoha, so you mustn't reveal your abilities before the signal is given."

The two older kunoichi were stunned and neither could say anything for a few seconds. "You will speak to no one of this. Not even among ourselves."

Iwane opened her mouth to ask her where she'd been but the shorter girl cut her off before she could. "We will all participate in the third exam, but I suggest you plan your fight beforehand. Don't reveal anything you haven't already done and decide the winner among yourselves."

She had returned to her training by now and didn't even look at them anymore. "You are dismissed."

They knew something was wrong, but also knew how stubborn Eizan was. If she didn't want to tell them anything then nothing they said or did would make her talk. So retreating was the only thing they could do.

It was clear that what had transpired between Gaara and her that night had affected her greatly, but they wished they knew what it was. For now, all that could be done was to do as she instructed and trust that she would resolve it on her own.

"Hey, aren't you those sand-nin that are going to be in the third exam?" a voice interrupted them as they exited the forest. There were three older ninja from Taki standing in front of them with matching smirks. The one that had spoken was the taller of them and had shoulder length brown hair.

"Are you sure that this test wasn't rigged so the weakest teams were allowed to pass?" the one on the far right asked. There was a scar across the left side of his face and it looked like he had seen quite a bit of battles and missions.

"That way Konoha's teams would appear stronger to the feudal lords." The third one was the shortest and he was stout and had short black hair.

"Urusei," the raven haired girl growled at him. "Get out of the damn way." There was a dangerous edge to her voice that was alarming, but this time Amane didn't interfere since she felt like killing something as well.

The one that had spoken first laughed harshly and reached out to grab the front of the shorter ninja's shirt. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to, pipsqueak?" he asked. He attempted to lift her off her feet to show how strong he was, but he wasn't able to.

Iwane's features twisted into a strange grin and she placed one hand over the one that held her shirt. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?" she asked before bending his fingers back.

The Taki shinobi yelled as he felt his fingers break like they were twigs. He stumbled back and clutched his right hand in his left. "Bastard!" he yelled as his comrades moved to attack.

The Erizawa female gave a laugh as she closed her eyes and placed a hand over her face. "I'm only going to say this once...walk away," she said, her voice lowering dangerously at the end. Her lids slid open and she peered through her fingers at them.

Amane would have suggested they listen but she only sighed and ran a hand through her brown hair. "Don't kill them," she muttered at her teammate.

"I ain't making any promises," she responded as she used her raised arm to block an attack from one of the other two ninja.

Her kick connected with his midsection as he stumbled back. She quickly formed seals and stamped her left foot before spikes made of solid earth sprung up from under the three ninja. They barely escaped with their lives but fell right into her Genjutsu.

Iwane let them experience Eizan's _'Chi-no-Ike Jigoku no Jutsu'_ in the illusion. They collapsed and screamed in agony as they tried to tear out chucks of their own flesh. In the end, they passed out before they made themselves bleed to death.

The Itagaki had watched all that occurred and knew that Iwane was angry. If it had been any other time she might have chosen to ignore the ninja but they had been unfortunate to catch her in one of her bad moods. During those rare times she became cruel and sadistic.

Amane had chosen to merely watch instead of trying to control her, since she was also in a foul mood. They both felt like inflicting injury toward a certain red head but knew they couldn't, so they chose to direct the anger toward anyone unfortunate enough to cross their paths.

"They're just lucky I was feeling charitable today," Iwane muttered before stuffing her hands into her pockets and walking off. Amane lifted an eyebrow and shook her head as she glanced at the unconscious shinobi. It didn't seem like she had been charitable, but the Itagaki knew her words to be true. If not then they'd be dead.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Naruto glanced at the female that was sitting on the window sill and staring off into the darkness with a neutral expression. She had been staying in his apartment ever since he had found her in the woods a week ago and since then she hadn't spoken about what had happened to her.

He didn't want to push the issue but he wanted to know what had happened. Usually he didn't have any tact at all, but after spending a lot of time with Haku he had started to learn a bit of restraint. Naruto knew that he was also improving thanks to the former mist-nin, and so he felt confident about facing Neji during the third exam.

"Ano, are you hungry?" he asked her as he walked into the living room. She had been leaning her head back against the window, but now she lifted it and turned her attention toward him. "I'm going to meet Iruka-sensei for ramen at Ichiraku. Would you like to come?"

A faint smile crossed her face but her eyes were dull. "Iie, but thank you for the offer, Naruto-san," was her response. She returned her gaze outside after a moment and said nothing more.

Naruto hesitated before nodding. "Alright then, but you know where it is if you change your mind," he said and tried to sound cheerful. "I'll be back. Ja." He waved at her as he left the room, grabbed his orange jacket and exiting the apartment.

Eizan sighed and turned to look around the empty room. When she had first gotten here there had been so much mess, but she had kept herself busy by cleaning up. She had also trained her taijutsu skills but decided not to do any chakra training.

She had always had a pretty good control of her chakra but lately that strange chakra had been overpowering her. Not to mention that every time she used her own the Ten no Juin caused her great pain. It was getting to a point that she didn't know what to do or who to tell.

The only one that would be able to help her was Enoki but she didn't want go to him for anything if she could help it. So, all she could do was deal with this by herself.

Her ears perked as she thought she heard something but continued to peered outside the window. A moment later she felt a very faint and familiar chakra. "Don't you know it's bad manners to enter someone else's home without permission, Uchiha-san?" she asked without turning around.

Sasuke smirked and stepped out of the shadows of the hallway that led into Naruto's bedroom. "I never learned any good manners."

Eizan chuckled slightly. "Hai, but I don't think Mikoto-san was to blame for that," she responded back. She heard his intake of breath and knew she'd gotten his attention once again.

"Who are you?" he asked her bluntly. He had waited a whole week and now he wanted answers. "What do you know about Itachi?"

She sighed and rested her head back against the window sill. "As annoying as you were back then," she muttered but decided to tell him something or he'd never leave her alone. "I knew you, Itachi and your parents. So I can honestly say that I don't believe that he killed anyone." She turned to lock her gaze on him. "I don't know why you would think he did."

"Why should I believe you?" he demanded. His eyes narrowed and seemed to burn into her.

She merely smirked back at him, but the raven haired boy saw that her opaque eyes didn't change. "Because when he looked at you I saw the same look that was in my Aniki's eyes," she simply said. Her gaze went back to staring outside. "You just had to look close enough."

Sasuke was quiet for several seconds as he digested what she had told him. He had never really wanted to believe that his beloved brother had killed his parents and destroyed everything he loved. All he had thought about for so long now was avenging his family and killing Itachi. That was the only thing that had driven him to keep living. Now, he wasn't so sure that what he believed was true.

"I don't believe you," he finally told her. He watched her closely for her reaction but she didn't even turn to look at him when she responded.

"Then don't." She stood and glanced at him for a moment and then walked toward the bedroom. "I wonder if Itachi still wears that necklace I gave him," she muttered before the door closed with a quiet click.

Sasuke watched her leave and then turned to look at where she had been sitting. The wood had been worn down and it looked like someone had been tearing pieces away. He frowned slightly as he saw faint traces of blood. Naruto came to mind first but they looked recent and so that only left Eizan.

Again he wondered what had happened to her the other night to have reduced her to tears. He wasn't so cruel as to throw it in her face, but it was very tempting after the way she had taunted him with the information concerning Itachi.

It infuriated him that she had known him during the time he had been a carefree, ignorant child. That she had known his brother before he had become a murderer in Sasuke's eyes, and his parents before they had been slaughtered.

He briefly wondered if she knew who might have killed them but dismissed the thought. She wouldn't be so cruel as to hide something of that magnitude from him, and yet Sasuke wasn't so sure.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gaara watched the Uchiha leave the apartment and felt his blood boil. He wanted to kill the leaf-nin more than ever but decided to wait. After all, he'd have more than enough time during the third exam.

He turned his attention to the apartment and disappeared in his sand and reappeared outside of the window. Using just a bit of chakra to keep him from slipping off but not give him away, he listened to what was going on inside.

The red head had tried to keep away from the kunoichi but he had always found himself on the rooftop every single night since she had started staying here. At first he had felt something darker than anger and had almost gone in and taken her out.

However, he had been reminded that all this was for his reason to live. She was interfering with his purpose and had to be removed from his sight. Oto had provided him with the best solution, and that way he wouldn't have her anywhere near him. He would continue taking lives and feeling alive.

Although, Gaara wondered why it made him feel like he was tearing a part of himself out.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you ready?" Amane asked her seriously.

Iwane bit her bottom lip nervously and nodded. "H-Hai, I think so," she muttered.

The two girls were facing each other and they twisted their bodies back. The third exam was tomorrow and now they would decide who would win the match. It was strange but they had no other way to decide.

"Okay, ready" the Itagaki announced as she felt a drop of sweat roll down her shoulder blades. "Go!" She threw her hand forward as her teammate did the same.

"Hell yeah, I win!" Iwane's hand was spread out and Amane's was curled into a fist. "Paper covers rock," she said with a grin that didn't reach her eyes.

Amane groaned. "I hate Janken," she muttered. "I never win."-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1. **Ninpou, Ten no Hi Yaiba:** _lit. _"Fire Blades of Heaven".  
2. **Wakarimasen: **I don't understand.  
3. **Janken:** Japanese version of rock-paper-scissors.  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Nineteen**_


	21. Omake 1: Chance Meetings

_**Glimpses of Fire  
**_**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer**:If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri Linked to _'Caught In The Rain'_

**AN:** This is a side chapter that has nothing to do with the main story line of GoF, but this will matter in GoD, so that's why I wrote it. Once again, sorry about any mistakes, since I don't have a beta anymore. T.T Please enjoy.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Omake 1: Chance Meetings**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She was moving her body ever closer to the exhaustion that was threatening to consume her, but still she wouldn't stop or catch her breath. Her muscles screamed in protest as she drove them to greater lengths than they were use to and after a few more minutes, they gave out on her and she collapsed in a mindless heap of flesh.

There were tears running down her cheeks from sparkling emerald orbs and hair the color of midnight tumbled into her features. Her lithe frame shuddered as she took in each breath and then withdrew it. There were no other sounds but the beat of her own heart pounding against her ribcage.

Erizawa Iwane wanted nothing more than to lay there forever and silently weep. She had gone off to train on her own today and while she loved Amane to no ends, she had needed to be alone. It had been two days since they'd met Eizan in the forest and the girl had disappeared once more.

She stumbled to her feet but faltered as she took a step and used a nearby tree to keep her from crashing to the ground again. A hand came up and wiped her dirty face and froze when she heard a twig break behind her. Her hand immediately found a kunai and she quickly spun around.

Short blue hair and wide lavender eyes was all she saw as she heard a ping within her ears and the world went black before she even hit the ground.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hinata gasped as the Suna-nin swayed and a moment later hit the ground in unconsciousness. She hurried over to him and checked him over despite the fact that he was a stranger from another village. He was an ally after all.

His breathing was normal and besides a few scrapes and bruises, he seemed relatively fine. She brought her hands into familiar seals as her Byakugan was activated. Using it, she was able to see that his chakra flow and heart rate was elevated, but normal. She also saw that he was a _she_.

A blush spread over her face when she realized that the winking, grinning boy that had made her eyes stray from Naruto, was a kunoichi, like herself. She found herself sighing as the veins on the side of her face faded and her eyes returned to their pupiless state.

She stayed kneeled over the still figure for a long time, wiping Iwane's face with a makeshift cloth and water from her canteen, and rearranging her limbs into a comfortable position. It was nearing four in the afternoon when the older girl stirred with a hiss of pain.

Hinata quickly reached out to still her movements as she shifted around. She squeaked in shock a moment later when she found herself on the ground, pinned under the glaring Suna-nin, a kunai at her throat. The other paused in surprised when she saw her and only removed the weapon, but didn't let her up.

"What...?" she began, but didn't even know what to say to the girl under her.

"Y-you fainted," Hinata told her, blushing heavily from being pinned under the taller kunoichi. Her eyes were averted when those emerald orbs shifted to meet hers as they narrowed. They lifted to the sky that could barely be seen through the trees when she seemed to noticed something.

"How long have I been out?" Iwane asked in confusion. It looked to be much later than she remembered it being. Also, her face didn't feel itchy with dirt or her tears and when she lifted a hand to inspect it, she realized that it had been wiped clean and her small wounds had been treated.

"M-maybe about f-four hours," she stuttered nervously, still seeing that the kunai was gripped in the hand that had her held down, the elbow and forearm pressing her into the ground.

The earth user's eyes widened when she heard this, mouth opening and closing before she could respond. "Four hours! Kuso!" She rolled off the girl and stood but swayed and felt a hand steady her almost immediately. Iwane was surprised when she saw that it was Hinata. _'She's pretty fast, but she __**is**__ a Hyuuga.'_

She twisted free but muttered a thanks and then sighed. "I can't believe I missed lunch," she whined, her lips set in a pout.

Hinata almost giggled and realized now why she'd noticed the girl. She was a lot like Naruto, and like the blonde, she saw that deep sorrow in her emerald eyes that was also hidden in the blonde's blue orbs.

"Y-you can share mine," she told her hesitantly, holding out the bento that she hadn't eaten yet. "Although i-it might be a b-bit stale."

Iwane turned to look at the girl, finding the stuttering adorable and had it been any other day, she might have tried to smother the girl in a hug. However, at the moment she was saddened when she remembered why she was out here. She merely smiled slightly at the girl as she nodded.

Again, Hinata saw that pain in the other girl's eyes and wanted to embrace her but she merely blushed at her thoughts and nodded as well. "W-would you like t-to go to a be-better place?"

"Hai," she muttered and followed the shorter girl after the other let her gather her equipment. Her eyes were fixed on the back of her head the whole way, letting her gaze get lost in the silky, blue hair and finding a bit of calm.

When she finally looked around her surroundings, she noticed that they had come to the Hokage monument, stopping just above the heads of the previous leaders' of Konoha. She faltered when she remembered that she'd last been here with Eizan, the night before the second part of the exam.

She wanted to turn and run from this place but saw the other girl waiting for her and sighed. There was something about this girl that brought a sense of calm to her. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't know anything about her past and what she'd been through.

Iwane hurried over to the smaller girl and gave her a grin but knew that it looked forced, but at least it seemed to reassure the other. "Well, let's see this famous bento of yours," she said, drapping an arm over her shoulders and causing her to most likely blush all the way to her toes.

"H-hai," she mumbled and they both sat where they could see all of Konoha spread out beneath them. She undid the cloth wrapped around it to reveal the slightly bigger than normal lunch box.

"Sugoi, that's a lot for someone like you to eat," she exclaimed and saw the other stuttered out a reply.

"I u-usually share m-most of it with Kiba-kun," the Hyuuga heiress explained. "B-but he is h-helping Shino-kun t-train for the e-exam." She took out two pairs of chopsticks, and used the lid of the bento to seperate the lunch, giving more to Iwane.

The Erizawa didn't hesitate to give the Konoha female back some food so they had the same amount. "So they've left you alone?" She shook her head as if in disappointment. She started to quickly eat after a quick utterance of "Itadakimasu". "You know, you should tell them that you want to help as well," she said between mouthfuls. "After all, you are part of the same team."

Hinata was surprised by her words and thought about that as she picked up her half of the lunch and started to eat, but she did it at a slower pace than the other. She watched the black-haired girl through her eyelashes, hoping that she wouldn't notice her staring. It seemed that she did after a few moments.

"Can't take your eyes off me, huh?" she asked with a cheeky grin, setting the lid aside. She leaned back a bit and observed the girl sitting in front of her, blushing once more due to her comment.

"G-gomen," she apologized quickly as she diverted her eyes. "Are y-you okay now?" There was another question underlying her words but didn't seem to want to voice it. Iwane was glad that she didn't ask since she would not be able to say anything about it, even if she wanted to.

She tilted her head and then let her gaze wander to the side, the view of Konoha as breath-taking as the first day she had seen it. Iwane was almost sad to realize that her own village would rain death and destruction on such a wonderous sight. "Hai," she commented quietly after a moment.

The Hyuuga was not convinced but didn't say anything. "Are y-you enjoying your s-stay in Konoha?" she asked instead, her gaze joining the others' to stare at the village spread out below them.

A laugh escaped the Sand-nin's lips and turned to fix her with an intense stare. "It's vastly different than Suna," was the only thing she said, indirectly avoiding the question. She couldn't get use to this place or enjoy training under the cool cover of trees, nor eating lunch in such a quiet, peaceful place.

She stood abruptly and the blue-haired girl glanced up at her in confusion. "I should be going." Her gaze lingered on the younger girl and her green orbs grew sad. Hinata noticed this and was even more confused. "Ki o ts'kete, chibi." She winked at her and quickly vaulted over the railing.

Hyuuga Hinata gasped and stood as she ran over to the railing. She looked down and blinked when she didn't see any sign of the Suna shinobi. "Kochira koso," she whispered, having a bad feeling after seeing that sad, distant look on the Suna shinobi's gaze. It was almost like she knew that something bad was going to happen. The tear-streaks down her face when she'd found her were tell-tale signs of that.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Her heart was pounding wildly in her heart as she fidgeted with her hitai-ate, now hanging around her neck. The long strands of her dark brown hair flowed down her back, and the sunlight caught in the natural blonde highlights and made it seem to sparkle slightly.

The outfit she'd picked out for this had been thoroughly researched and could say that it matched his own clothing. She had always found his clothing to be cute where others might find it to be a fashion disaster. Well, maybe she had thought the same thing at first too, but seeing him in it had become as natural as the bag in his hand.

She bit her lip as she saw him exit out of the restaurant and opened her mouth to call him, but it snapped shut as a familiar blonde followed. Sanako watched her drape her arm over his shoulder and say something to him with a too sweet smile. Tears stung her eyes as she stumbled back and she whirled around without another word.

Hideaki Sanako didn't see Shikamaru exit after his teammates, followed closely by Asuma and only the genius noticed the fleeing girl. Meanwhile, the blonde started to choke the chip eating ninja for having said that Sakura and her were weak, since they'd lost their matches so easily.

"I forfeited because I knew I'd never be able to beat Shino, and Sakura held her own pretty well against that strong Suna-nin." She huffed in annoyance, finally releasing teammate from the headlock he'd had him in. "If we'd faced each other, I can't honestly say who would win."

Nara Shikamaru had looked back to his team members with a smirk, clearly remembering the girl he'd seen. "Well, you should he happy that you didn't have to fight any other kunoichi. The Suna ninja would have pulverized you immediately, Tenten would have beaten you and Sanako would have killed you."

Ino blinked and glanced at him in confusion. "Sanako? She's a leaf ninja, right? I doubt she'd have tried to seriously kill one of her fellow shinobi," she said with a wave of her hand.

The lazy boy smirked as she glanced at Chouji and then back at his female teammate. "I wouldn't be too sure of that," he said knowingly. It just irritated Ino but he said nothing more as he walked ahead, and the other male quickly caught up with him, still eating his chips but also giving him a questioning glance. Shikamaru merely yawned and muttered something sounding like, "Troublesome."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan quickly straightened when she heard the door open after someone had knocked. "Naruto, are you ho-oh!" The man stopped when he saw the Sand-nin. "I didn't know Naruto had company over." He stopped when he saw the hitai-ate and frowned slightly.

"Konbanwa, Iruka-san," she replied in a quiet, polite voice and bowed slightly. She motioned toward the door leading toward the bedroom. "Naruto-san is in his room. I have business to attend, so I will take my leave." She walked to the kitchen where she lifted a pack and then quickly left without another word.

"How strange," he muttered to himself, wondering where the teenager was heading to.

A few minutes later found Eizan in the shoping district, buying some food supplies, bandages and anything else that she would need for today. She also made sure to have a strong sleeping medication, just in case. Of course, it wasn't for her.

She paused as someone stopped behind her and she turned and was slightly surprised when she saw that it was Kankuro. Her head tilted in greeting and nothing more as she continued with her shopping.

He seemed to want to say something and she beat him to it. "You have nothing to say to me," she stated in a low voice. Her tone gave no room for argument, but the older ninja seemed reluctant to go.

She knew that he was aware of the plans and that both he and Temari had most likely known since the beginning. It was taking every ounce of self-control she had not to turn around and slit Kankurou's throat.

"He's changed," he muttered. "He just hasn't realized that, but he will. Soon." It was almost like he was trying to reassure her and it made Eizan sick.

A bark of laughter escaped her mouth, sounding almost crazed and startling the shop owner so he moved away from them. "Changed?" she spat. "Stop talking nonsense, Kankuro." It had been the first time she'd said his name, and frankly, it was their first conversation since they'd met. Although, they never really had met. Eizan was just there and neither had ever bothered to speak; one out of hatred and the other out of fear.

"He will never change. His _father_ saw fit to turn him into the monster he is now, and you and Temari had a hand in it." She paused and chuckled but there was no mirth there. "Not even I could change him and I was always by his side." The kunoichi seemed to grow sad and it was unnerving for Kankuro to watch her.

He, like his sister, had always thought her to be as cold and unfeeling as the red head. The puppet master was almost guilty to realize that she was just another one of Gaara's victim. She'd gotten the life sucked out of her, but she continued to live and feel the pain and sorrow.

"He will see his mistake," he said firmly. He wanted to reach out and grasp her shoulder to turn her around and make her look at him, but he didn't dare.

"You will say nothing more," she silently warned.

Kankurou took this as his cue to leave. "Aa, Ki o ts'kete." He turned and left the kunoichi and when he glanced back, she had already vanished into the crowd of people.

'_I hope he sees it before it's too late.'_ If Eizan was gone, Gaara would lose his last shred of humanity and then he didn't know what would become of his younger brother.

Kankurou sighed and continued on down the street, not once noticing the cold stare from above him.

Eizan turned away from the older boy and glanced up at the fading sunlight as she gripped the fabric above her chest. _'Kankurou, I wish your words were true.'_ She hastily wiped at her eyes and moved on to where she needed to be right now.

She'd steel her heart for the next few weeks to come. There was nothing else to do, but fear gripped her heart when she remembered Orochimaru's cruel yellow orbs. _'I'm...scared,'_ she admitted with surprise. Yes, she was frightened and didn't know when light would shine on her life again after this.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane glanced around as she noticed a stare on her, already having heard his approach and after a brief nod she returned to her training. Truth be told, she wasn't in the mood to deal with him at the moment, but she doubted he'd respect her need for silence and privacy.

"Spying on the competition?" she inquired when he made no move to leave or speak. The Itagaki knew that she shouldn't be speaking to him but she found his unwavering stare unnerving. She almost reached out to make sure her prized possession was still hanging around her neck but she knew it was as it bounced against her skin with each movement.

She sighed and stopped and turned to face him. "Is there anything you wanted, Hyuuga-san?" she inquired when she couldn't stand his stare any longer. It was obvious that she was still upset that he'd used the necklace as blackmail to recover the scroll.

Of course, in an actual battle situation she would have been killed for her stupidity but she couldn't help her foolishness. The shell had once belonged to her first love, who had brought Iwane and her closer together after their friendship had deterioated during their childhood. Akuro had been the one that had also advised that they try to gradually let Eizan get use to them, instead of trying to force friendship on her right away.

"You don't have to say anything," she reassured him with a nod. "We both know you're a teme." Amane gathered her equipment and glanced at the ever silent Neji. "Stop apologizing, you're embarassing me." She saw him lift an eyebrow and she smirked.

"I didn't," he said. Her voice had been devoid of any emotion, but he knew she was being sarcastic. "But I do." It was hard for him to say those words and glanced away and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but still no emotion on her face.

It was frustrating since he didn't know what she was thinking. Then he wondered if that's how people felt when dealing with him. It was slightly amusing to think so. Although like her, he didn't let his nuetral expression change.

Amane knew a lot about hiding emotions, had done it all her life to please her father and grandfather. The one thing she'd ever defied them on was her desire to be a ninja, associating with Ashikaga Eizan, and changing her name and clothes. Her grandfather would have disowned her if it hadn't been for her father, but she didn't really care.

She'd stop hoping that her family would ever be one she could be proud of. Her father was a coward when dealing with her grandfather, and Hiroaki himself was a bonafide bastard. Motoki, her older brother, took after the elderly man. However, she hated her nii-san for a completely different reason.

"If you are, then that's a good sign." She turned away from him as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. His voice stopped her in her tracks.

"A good sign of what?" he questioned, finding her words to be odd.

Amane smirked as the sunlight quickly faded. "That you're not turning into a complete bastard." She chuckled and could almost swear she felt him smirk. "Keep at it, you'll grow out of that jerk personality soon."

"Aa, maybe," he admitted. He turned and walked out of the clearing they'd been in.

Itagaki Amane raised her face to the heavens and almost felt guilty about what was to come, but she sighed and continued to walk. Some friendships were just not meant to be.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan paused on the street and glanced at the white haired man standing outside of Naruto's apartment. At a glance he didn't appear to be too old but she remembered that the blonde had told her that he was being trained by "Ero-sennin", or Jiraiya the Toad Hermit.

She had enough stored information on Konoha to know that he was part of the Legendary Three, which had once consisted of him, Orochimaru and Tsunade. They had apparently been part of the same Genin team under the tutelage of the Sandaime Hokage.

He turned to glance at her when she approached and she lifted an eyebrow when she realized that Naruto wasn't with him. The blonde had been gone for two days straight but she hadn't spent most of that time at the apartment so he might have returned while she had been out training or attending to other business. She refrained from speaking to him and continued to make her way to the entrance of the apartment building.

"Yo, Gaki," he finally spoke to her, but she ignored him. "Where are your manners?"

The Ashikaga bristled at the kid remark but said nothing of it. "Where are _yours_?" she shot back. She had paused in the doorway and turned to look at him. "Where is Naruto-san?"

"That's why I'm here." There was a smirk on his face as she waited for him to tell her where the blue-eyed Genin was located. "He's in the hospital because of chakra exhaustion. The brat's been unconscious for two days."

He left before she could say anything else as she frowned and turned to walk inside. She showered, changed and quickly departed for the hospital. When she did arrive it was to realize that the boy, Rock Lee, was still here.

Eizan's features twisted in concentration when she remembered his fight against Gaara during the preliminaries. The leaf-nin's injuries had been severe and she was surprised that he'd survived. She'd been more than impressed that he had stood after using that amazing technique and then having his arm and leg crushed by the red head's sand.

She memorized his room number and quickly headed to Naruto's room. When she arrived it was to see that the Genin wasn't in bed and wondered where he had gone. He wasn't inside the restroom and the nurse had no idea where he might have gone since he still wasn't supposed to be out of bed.

The fire user sighed as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and moved down the hall in the direction of Lee's room. She just wanted to make sure he was doing fine before once again trying to find Naruto. Her hand pushed the door open and froze at the sight that met her eyes.

Gaara was inside the room along with Naruto and another boy. She remembered his name was Nara Shikamaru, and his shadow was linked with the sand user's shadow. A moment later it retreated and the sand started to move toward them. They were so engrossed with one another, that they apparently hadn't noticed her yet.

"Gaara-dono?" she muttered before she could stop herself. She didn't want to see him so soon but since the exam was tomorrow, she knew that it had been inevitable.

He turned and she saw that his eyes had become bloodshot and there was a strange grin on his face. She remembered that look even after so many years. She stepped back without realizing it.

The sand shot at her and slammed her into the wall behind her as she cried out, not hearing Naruto call out her name. All she felt was the grainy substance crushing her against the unmoving wall as she gasped for breath.

A shout was heard and she felt herself being released as she crumpled to the floor. She coughed and was trying to take in air when she felt someone helping her stand. Her gaze lifted and her blood-rimmed eyes locked with cerulean and after a moment they moved away and she saw Lee's sensei standing just inside the room.

"I'll kill you all, just you wait," Gaara's voice cut through her throughts and she turned to see him leave the room. His turquoise orbs fastened on her and she was startled with the hostility in them. He turned and headed down the hall without another look back.

She stepped in his direction and felt a hand hold her back. Her gaze returned toward the blonde and she saw him giving her a worried look. A sigh left her lips as she slumped against him and allowed him to lead her into the room they had just been in.

Maito Gai watched them for a moment before moving to check on his prized pupil. Shikamaru pulled up a chair for Eizan as he muttered about the whole situation being troublesome.

Naruto was speaking quietly to the Suna-nin that had yet to utter a word. Her hitai-ate had fallen off so her long bangs obscured most of her features and the expression on them. The blonde next to her had picked up the head band and slipped it into her slack fingers.

She muttered something and the blue eyed ninja leaned down to hear her and a frown twisted his features. "Come on," he answered and helped her to stand and they left the room after he'd waved at Shikamaru and Gai.

The other two leaf-nin watched them leave with frowns. Shikamaru was concerned because of the relationship between Naruto and the Suna-nin when it was clear that Gaara was trying to kill Lee. Gai knew he had to report this to the Hokage so he also took his leave.

"So troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled as he exited. He headed over to Chouji's room.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sanako stopped outside the room as the conversation inside reached her ears and her hand stilled on the doorknob when she recognized the female voice. She'd heard that he had been put in the hospital and had wanted to see how he was doing. After all, she did work here so she could use the excuse that she was checking up on him by order of the doctor.

Her hands curled into fists as she turned away from the room that had _'Akimichi'_ next to the door. She walked down the hall, not noticing another figure coming down the hall she'd just come from, but that person _did_ notice her.

Shikamaru smirked as he reached the Chouji's room and turned to watch the girl turn a corner. "Just as I thought," he commented quietly as he went inside. "Ino, I didn't know you were here." The door closed behind him with a quiet click.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End **__**Omake 1: Chance Meetings.**_


	22. The Third Exam

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri Linked to _'Caught In The Rain'_

**AN:** This chapter was able to be posted thanks to Shadows-upon-Sand, who is my new beta! Hurray! o.o Of course, that means that Shadows gets to preview the chapters before anyone else, heh. Just one perk about being a beta I think. Anywho, on with this chapter! Enjoy, that's an order!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Twenty: The Third Exam**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Naruto groaned as he was practically kicked out of bed. He sat up from the floor and blinked lazily at the figure standing in front of him. "Get your lazy butt up," an annoyed voice told him.

"Aw, but I'm sleepy, Eizan-nii-san," he whined at the kunoichi as he rubbed his eyes. He made to crawl back into bed, but something grabbed hold of his foot and pulled him to the floor again.

"I don't care," the Suna-nin snapped. "If you don't get up you'll be late for the exam. Now get up!" After a moment she turned away from his sprawled figure that was starting to nod off and entered the restroom. When she came back he was almost asleep again and she promptly threw a cup of water over his head.

The next minute was filled with cursing and death threats, but at least the blonde wound up in the shower at the end of it. Eizan was busy making his bed since last night had been his turn to sleep in it. She had already showered and changed.

Since she hadn't wanted to return to the inn to get her clothes she had been forced to stretch her remaining money and buy new ones. The blonde Genin had offered to lend her some of his own saved money, and insisted when she refused to take it.

She was wearing some of her new sets of clothes now that consisted of a black shirt and only had one right sleeve that was made of fishnet. Underneath the shirt she still wore her chain mail shirt and protective vest.

The pants were black and had tears along the legs and she had sewn the Suna patch over the Konoha one on the left, back pocket. Her holsters were in place on both thighs and her pouch at the center of her back. The black strands had grown a bit in one month and it was slightly longer in the back, and her Suna hitai-ate had been replaced on her right forearm, so her bangs shielded her crimson-rimmed orbs and most of her face.

Eizan took up her position at the window and stared out at the brand new day. She could hear Naruto getting ready but she put him out of her mind for the moment. There were dark shadows under her eyes from the many restless nights she had had over the past month, but even then she didn't feel her exhaustion.

During the time she had spent with Naruto she had trained with him a few times and realized that he was rather skilled. He had explained that his almost infallible aim and improvement in other areas was thanks to Haku's training. She had merely listened to him relate that the older boy was rather skilled and would be a tough opponent.

Eizan wasn't worried since she knew that her match wasn't all that important to Gaara. He didn't care if she ever achieved the Chunin rank. He only wished to have her out of his sight. To disappear.

She winced and clutched the front of her shirt as she felt agony creep into her chest. After a moment she shook her head and tried to clear it of thoughts of the red head.

Eizan had had a lot of time to think and she had come to a decision. If Gaara didn't find her useful anymore then she'd carry out his will. She would disappear.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It had been an eventful exam so far. The fight against Neji and Naruto had dragged on longer than anyone had expected. In fact, it had been predicted by many that the Hyuuga would win hands down against the blonde.

Again, the Uzumaki had shocked them all, but the Ashikaga had watched impassively. Eizan didn't know he would win his match, but she had come to realize in the time spent with him that he was a strong fighter.

She'd also realized that she might have to face him or Uchiha Sasuke during the invasion. It wasn't something she was looking forward to, and not because she feared them. She didn't want to run the risk of hurting either one of them.

Sasuke was sure to improve during the next month and Naruto was fairly skilled thanks to the Hideaki kid. However, she knew that when the time came then she'd have no choice but to carry out Gaara's order. It was going with Otogakure that had her worried.

The next match was about to begin and she glanced down at her two teammates as they faced each other. She could already tell that they had choreographed their match since she had trained with them too long not to know how they fought one another.

Iwane had shifted into a fighting stance and Amane had her eyes open. No one else would see these things as strange; even those that had already seen the two girls fight during the preliminaries. They'd just assume that they were taking the fight more seriously.

What they wouldn't know was that Iwane's unpredictability in her relaxed stance and Amane's ability to fight without the need for her sight was what made them good fighters. They only abandoned these methods when faced with more than one opponent as it had been in the Forest of Death.

There was a serious expression on Iwane's face and Amane seemed to be concentrating quite a bit instead of her serene state during a match. When they rushed at one another they attacked fluidly as would be assumed with teammates. They interchanged blows and either dodged, blocked or connected.

Eizan knew their fighting styles and that the Erizawa's almost wild fighting style was complimented by Amane's calm and precise attacks. When they spared it was an even match despite the two different styles because both girls understood each other well.

It would have actually been interesting to see them fight in an actual match, but that hadn't been possible as soon as Eizan heard of the upcoming plan. She didn't really understand why Gaara had agreed to it since she had always assumed that he wasn't interested in what happened to Suna.

Eizan wondered if perhaps she had just misunderstood him all this time. _'Does his life as a shinobi within Suna's walls help fulfill his purpose?'_

She had once been foolish enough to think that perhaps he would be able to trust her enough that having a purpose wouldn't be as important as just being together. During those times she had still been her idealistic self, but now she realized that he didn't trust her at all. He didn't need her.

It was a painful thought but she couldn't think of any other.

She felt her sorrow clouding her mind as she continued to watch Amane and Iwane's match unfold beneath her.

The girls were only using D and C rank jutsu against one another, but it wouldn't be assumed as anything suspicious. After all, many ninja at the Genin level didn't know any high ranked techniques.

However, they knew B and even A rank jutsu already through Enoki's most recent training. Those techniques were the ones that would come in handy during the invasion.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"The winner is Erizawa Iwane!" Genma announced, who was replacing Hayate since he was presumed dead. His sword and scraps of his bloody clothing had been found but there was no sign of his body. Many of his fellow Jonin were worried that he had been killed while tracking down the spy, Kabuto.

Sasuke had told Kakashi of what he had heard between Kabuto and Eizan, but had reported that he didn't know which ninja he had been trying to "persuade" to join Orochimaru. The copy-nin had then told the Hokage and had labeled the teen ninja a spy for the Sannin.

Now all they needed to do was figure out who else the snake ninja was targeting and thus stop his plans. It was suspected that he might be trying to get one of their allies to aid him in attacking Konoha, but it wasn't confirmed yet. For now, all they could do was let the exam continue and keep an eye out on any strange behavior.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan vaulted over the railing easily and landed before straightening a moment later. She calmly walked toward her approaching opponent and the proctor that was standing in the middle of the designated battle area. Her eyes lingered over Haku for a moment before wandering a bit as she waited for Genma to start the match.

At first she had intended to forfeit the match but Kankurou had beat her to it and she didn't want to arouse any suspicion by also refusing to fight. So, she had to put on a show for those watching.

She had seen the Kazekage arrive and had felt an overwhelming need to kill the man but she had controlled herself. Also, she had felt that terrifying chill that she'd felt on the playground and in the Forest of Death. Orochimaru was somewhere near, and she was scared. _'What will become of me after this?'_ she wondered silently.

"Begin," the laid back ninja told them as he moved to a safe distance.

Haku peered at his opponent and wondered what kind of match it would be. There hadn't been much to see of his fight against the Hyuuga girl since he'd won it rather quickly. What he had seen was the speed he possessed since he'd been in the classroom when his team had taken out the Oto-nin cell.

The former mist ninja realized that he was faster than him and even Sasuke. He could also say that he might even be faster than that bowl haired boy, Rock Lee. It was thrilling and a bit frightening when he thought that now he had to fight him. He knew that his best bet to win would be his mirrors.

Eizan flexed her hands and narrowed her eyes on the taller boy. She knew that beyond a certain point she'd have to withdraw, but she would put up a bit of a fight. She had to make it believable to the crowd, those watching and to her opponent that she was beaten. They had already seen her speed and so she couldn't fake that the boy won in terms of speed unless he _was_ faster.

"What are you waiting for, winter?" she asked the other, a smirk playing across her lips when she saw him tense a bit. She was debating whether she would attack or wait for him to do so and then defend. From his fight in the preliminaries she had seen that his aim was as accurate as Naruto had been boasting all month.

If she were going to fight him to become a Chunin then she knew that it would be a tough match to win, but she wasn't. All she needed to do was hold him occupied long enough before quitting. After all, that's what was expected of her. To lose and then disappear.

She clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them. _'Concentrate,'_ she commanded herself. _'I need to forget about it for now.'_ But she wondered how she could forget the pain that was almost unbearable. The sorrow that plagued her to a point that she wished she could stop drawing breath just to make it cease.

'_Not yet. Not here.'_ Eizan shifted into a fighting stance and breathed in, and fixed her red-lined gaze on her opponent. _'Soon. Very soon.'_

They lunged at one another almost at the same time and kunai and senbon met between them. Their eyes locked as they tried to overpower the other using physical and chakra induced strength. For a moment it seemed that they had come to a stand still as neither gained nor lost ground.

Haku lifted his free wrist and started to form one handed seals. Eizan's eyes widened with shock since she'd never seen anyone do such a thing. The boy lifted his foot and brought it back down.

'_Sensatsu Suisho!'_ The ground around them started to shake and the kunoichi felt a distinctive chill pass through her that made her very insides ache. She hissed in an almost animalistic way and jumped back as needles made of water shot out of the earth. They narrowly missed her but she saw that he wasn't done yet.

He threw several senbon at her and she avoided those she could and deflected those she couldn't. Then she lifted her kunai to meet him as he lunged at her right after the projectiles. If it had been a real match for her she might have enjoyed fighting against such a formidable opponent, but she could derive no pleasure from the challenge he presented.

"You're pretty fast," she muttered with a smirk. She leveled her hold on the kunai, jumped up and nailed him against the gut. "But I'm faster."

As he fell, Haku threw several shuriken at her. She flipped back as they sailed under her and when she landed it was to return the favor. He jumped to the side to avoid the weapons and then came toward her.

She saw his hands forming seals as he rushed at her and she frowned as the air dropped several degrees. A shudder passed through her as she felt a very cold aura radiating from the boy coming at her.

'_Something's wrong,'_ her instincts told her, but before she could move he activated the jutsu.

'_Makyo Hyo Sho!'_ Mirrors made of ice started to form around and over her in a dome-like structure. Eizan was almost overwhelmed by the drastic change in temperature as she shuddered once again.

"What the hell is this?" she muttered under her breath. Her gaze shifted toward the figure standing outside the mirrors as he started to move forward.

"Now it's over," Haku told her and stepped up and into the mirror in front of him. The Ashikaga girl could only watch in surprise as his image was multiplied in every surface of the ice mirrors.

Every image lifted their arms and threw senbon at the same time. She gasped as they came at her from every angle, and she knew they weren't an illusion as several nicked her arms. A scream escaped her involuntarily as they started to tear into her.

After a minute she started to deflect and dodge most of them but every once in a while she'd be hit. "Kuso, I have to get out of here." She had already made an attempt for one of the gaps around the mirrors but she'd been stopped.

She attempted a low level Katon jutsu but there was no affect to the ice. "Such a flimsy fire will not harm my chakra induced mirrors," he told her.

Eizan knew, however, that nothing was unbreakable. If she used her Jigoku no Yaiba or the reversed version of the Ten no Hi Yaiba then she might be able to weaken it enough to melt or shatter them.

However, Eizan knew that she wouldn't be able to do that. She had to conceal her abilities until the signal was given, and she doubted that it'd be given during her match.

She performed the same fire technique again and did it just a bit stronger, but it still didn't have any affect on the ice. She used a normal bunshin to try and confuse the boy as she escaped, but Haku was pretty quick.

During her time with the blonde, she had persuaded him to teach her his Kage Bunshin, and in turn she had taught him Kaze no Yaiba. Although, she had made him promise never to let anyone in Suna know where he had learned it though, and he had given her the same conditions.

Eizan crumpled to the ground as a senbon cut off feeling in her left leg. She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth as the urge to prove that he wasn't too strong passed over her. It was a blow to her pride to let him keep her trapped within the jutsu while she pretended that she couldn't weaken or break the mirrors.

After several minutes had passed and her right arm had been numbed, she let herself fall to a sitting position on the ground. "I forfeit," she said between clenched teeth. She hadn't bothered to push her bangs out of her eyes or the boy would have seen the look of anger in them. It was humiliating to lose on purpose.

Haku had been about to attack again but he merely stared at his opponent as he accepted defeat. A frown twisted his features but he let the jutsu fade from around the Suna-nin as Genma declared him the winner of the match.

He then watched as the boy's teammates appeared around him and took him to the gallery overhead where the rest of the participants waited. Even when he left the arena he hadn't taken his gaze from the sand shinobi, and he saw the questioning looks his team members were giving him.

'_Why was he holding back?'_ he wondered. His eyes narrowed on the other and he saw as he turned his head in his direction. Their gazes locked and the other grinned slightly as he straightened from his slouched position. He rested his right hand on the rail and crossed his left foot over the right one. It didn't even seem like he'd been hit by his senbon at all!

The next match was announced and a silence fell over the crowd before a cacophony of muttering started up. Haku was distracted and glanced toward the arena. _'Where's Uchiha Sasuke?'_ he wondered, and he knew that a lot of people were asking the same thing.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

There was darkness all around him when he opened his eyes and his head felt like it was splitting in two. It had been one of the few times in days he had been conscious long enough to wonder where he was and how much time had passed since he'd been here.

He shifted and only felt a dull ache from his bandaged wounds so he knew that it'd been a long while since he'd come to be in this place. The person that was keeping him captive had been here when he'd last awoken and had knocked him out once again. He was grateful that she'd at least fed him or he'd surely have already starved to death.

The potion that she used was in the food and it knocked him out for several hours. She was always here to feed him and then put him under once again. However, lately she'd been putting him down for two days on end, but he wondered why she wasn't here now.

'_Perhaps they found out and she's dead?'_ he wondered. He actually wished that wasn't it since she was so young. Also, she hadn't been cruel toward him or tortured him. In fact, he believed that she'd saved him from being killed, but had to keep him here because he knew of Suna's intended betrayal.

So, Gekkou Hayate could do nothing but wait until she returned. _'If she returned,'_ he corrected, since she might be one of the many that died during the invasion.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1**. Sensatsu Suisho: **_lit._ "Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death"  
2. **Makyo Hyo Sho: **_lit._ "Demonic Mirror Ice Crystals"  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Twenty**_


	23. Invasion

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer**:If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri Linked to _'Caught In The Rain'_

**AN:** This took longer to rewrite than I expected but I wanted to get this scene just right. Thanks Shadows for all your help T.T I couldn't have done it without you! -bows to the greatness of the beta- hehe, anyway, on with the chapter!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Twenty-one: Invasion**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Their match had been postponed for over half an hour since Uchiha Sasuke had been late. While that would have been immediate grounds for disqualification, the Kazekage had insisted that the match be postponed since he, as well as others, wanted to see the match of Gaara versus Sasuke.

Eizan suspected that the signal would most likely be given during their match, since the Kazekage wanted to ensure Suna and Oto's victory by using Shukaku.

A frown twisted her features but it would go unnoticed since her bangs shrouded half her face in shadow. Her short figure, which had grown an inch over the last month, was resting against the wall besides the railing and her arms were crossed over her chest. She fastened her dark orbs on the two figures fighting below.

The Sharingan user had become faster and was most likely up to Lee's speed, but she saw that he used up a lot of stamina to attain it. Eizan had been training her body since her brother had been alive, and the years that followed had been completely devoted to nothing but training. It had been a never-ending cycle that even continued outside of the Academy until she would pass out from exhaustion. The boy would be hard pressed to match her.

She let a ghost of a smirk lift her lips as she imagined what his reaction would be if he knew her thoughts. He didn't take being bested lightly and she had learned from Naruto that his goal in life was to kill someone. She knew that it was Itachi, but she wondered what his thoughts on his older brother were now after what she'd told him.

Eizan had refused to engage too much in her own match against Takejiro. While inside the mirrors she had seen that he was very fast, but he was vulnerable outside. With the right amount of chakra to make her Jigoku no Yaiba hot enough, she could have melted even the chakra-endued mirrors. Then she'd only have to deal with him in a hand-to-hand situation. Eizan doubted that he'd have sufficient chakra to produce the jutsu again, and she knew that she'd exhaust hers so low that she'd have to stick with taijutsu.

She had known that it had been the best thing to do. Amane and Iwane had choreographed their match, Kankurou had forfeited his, and Temari was the only one that had actually fought. She had won against the Konoha boy.

Her opponent had been Nara Shikamaru, and it had turned out that he was a genius strategist, and had used his intellect to trap her with his shadow jutsu in the end. However, he had performed the technique too many times and so his chakra was very low and had seen no other option but to give up. It had been pretty obvious that if it had been a real life battle she would have lost.

Also, there were still those that were surprised by the end of the blonde's match, since they hadn't expected the Uzumaki to win. Eizan had seen the hate that filled many of the villager's and ninja's eyes. Konoha saw him as Suna saw Gaara. A monster. She knew that it would have been interesting information for the red head to know that he had the Kyuubi inside of him, but she hadn't gotten a chance to tell him.

Eizan's eyes were fixed on the match below and she was sure that many were doing the same thing. Many had come solely to watch this match. Even the Kaze no Kuni no Daimyo had been anxious to see it, since Sasuke was one of the last survivors of the renowned Uchiha bloodline. They all wanted to see what this so called prodigy was capable of.

As for the Ashikaga, she knew that he had improved a lot, but it was a last minute stretch during the last month. He didn't have Itachi's potential who had become an Anbu captain at the age that Sasuke was now.

However, right now her gaze was locked solely on Gaara, and if anybody could see her eyes under her bangs, then they'd be able to tell that she'd hadn't been sleeping these past few weeks. It had been a month filled with long days and nights plagued with nightmares. She also had to deal with the curse seal acting up.

Eizan leaned her head against the wall behind her as her eyes fluttered closed but they snapped open when she saw Gaara's face as it had been that night. A frown twisted her features as his words came unbidden to her mind.

'_You're useless and insignificant. Your very presence is stifling me.'_

The fire user flinched and bowed her head so her features were once again obscured by her bangs. She refused to allow anyone to see the tears that gathered in her dark orbs. When she had blinked away the salty water that stung her eyes she sighed wearily. She let slender, pale fingers slip through her slightly longer black hair, and when the memories threatened to engulf her she pushed them down.

That night had been one of the worst of her life, and now that her greatest fear had come true nothing seemed to matter anymore. She had isolated herself from even her two teammates, and had refused to speak of what had happened. Almost like she wanted to pretend it had never happened, but it had.

Eizan didn't even have to glance in their direction to know they kept looking at her with worried looks. She couldn't blame them for being worried about her, but she wished they wouldn't. Eizan hoped they would be able to cope with her decision.

Also, she'd come to realize that something had manifested itself from her suffering. This is what had leveled the forest in a ten-foot radius of where she had collapsed after she'd left Gaara. Whatever it was, it had become essentially a jutsu that only required a single, strange hand seal.

She had given it a name after she'd heard Naruto's account, since he'd been the only one to witness it. He had told her that for a moment, wings of black fire had appeared behind her, and they'd been spread as if she'd been ready to take flight. The Suna kunoichi wondered if she'd have to use the jutsu during the invasion. She feared for Naruto and Sasuke's safety if she had to.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Iwane was worried but for different reasons. During her match against Amane she had spotted something that made her shiver. _'Eight of them,'_ she mused to herself. '_Spread out among the stands and within the civilians. ANBU.'_ She vaguely wondered if they suspected Sunagakure's betrayal, but she doubted it. There would have been more of them if that was the case.

They had heard through Enoki about the proctor finding out about the mission, but that while he had escaped Baki he hadn't been able to evade Eizan's attack. There hadn't even been a body but the Jonin had assured that he'd seen the man torn to shreds by the jutsu. So, it didn't seem likely for their plans to be discovered, since they had been as discreet as possible.

'_Perhaps it's a precaution?'_ she wondered. She certainly hoped it was.

Iwane glanced at her teammate and saw the same worry, but a lot was directed at Eizan. She couldn't deny that she felt the same, since she'd completely disappeared after their last meeting in the forest. Usually, it was easy to sense her fire-based chakra but the shorter girl had seemed to vanish off the face of the earth.

They were both sure that something had happened, but Eizan hadn't said a word to them since they had reunited at the beginning of the third exam. The Erizawa felt her blood boil in anger because she _knew_ it had something to do with Gaara. He was responsible for all her suffering and the changes in her up until now.

Again, she felt a foreboding at the back of her mind like the cold hand of death, and she turned sharply to Amane. The wind user's eyes narrowed since she had no doubt heard Iwane's heart as it skipped a beat and sped up.

'_What is it?'_ she silently questioned. Iwane could only shake her head, since she didn't know where this feeling of dread was coming from. All she knew was that something bad was going to happen, and she could only wait and hope that they made it out of Konoha alive.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The people in the stadium watched as Sasuke's hand tore up the side of the stadium wall as he ran along. His chakra was visible and it crackled like the sound of many birds chirping. That's why Kakashi had named it Chidori, as it was his own signature technique that he had taught Sasuke over this past month.

A pair of blue eyes watched his teammate battle and felt a slight surge of jealousy that left a bitter taste in his mouth. The Jonin had abandoned him this past month and had left him in the care of Ebisu. He'd then started to be trained by Jiraiya. The man was one of the legendary Sannin but the Uzumaki only saw him as a perverted old man. He was Ero-sennin.

He'd learned a valuable technique from the hermit, but it still stung as he watched Sasuke. Kakashi had abandoned him for the Uchiha.

Naruto glanced away and spotted the Suna kunoichi standing besides her teammates and frowned. She'd lost her fight against Haku, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him she'd let him win.

The blonde turned back to his teammate and watched with the others in the stadium as the Uchiha reached the dome of sand. The tendrils of sand had shot out but he easily avoided them and his chakra enhanced hand was curled to resemble a claw. His hand connected with an almost piercing wail and then broke through.

Eizan gasped in shock from where she was watching as the Uchiha's hand plunged into the dome and disappeared from sight. _'I can't believe it! He got past Gaara's defense!'_

Her wide eyes were trained on the battle as her hands tightly gripped the railing until her knuckles turned white. Several breathtaking moments passed, and the Uchiha remained immobile. Then he frowned as he tilted his head to the side and he seemed to be listening to something.

A sudden scream ripped through the silence and Eizan's blood ran cold when she recognized it. **"Blood! My Blood!!"** Gaara's voice echoed off the stadium walls as she shuddered.

Meanwhile, Sasuke grunted as he tried to pull away and it looked like he was experiencing pain. He could feel something clamped painfully around his arm, and when he was unable to dislodge himself he gathered his chakra to produce the electrifying effect of the Chidori. Gaara's pained screams came again.

Eizan's two teammates appeared beside her suddenly and both placed hands on the shorter girl's shoulders. They knew she was capable of interrupting the fight and to hell with the plan.

She seemed to regain her senses and even if her body was still tense, she didn't look like she would jump over the railing at any second. However, her gaze hadn't left the arena below them.

Sasuke started to pull his arm away but he could feel something clamped painfully around it. He jumped back when he was able to and the sand stretched across the distance in a deformed shape that looked like an arm. It released him and fell to the ground with a loud crash as the vibration made him stumble.

The arm was a sandy color with purple splashes over its surface, whatever _it_ was. Also, there was a strange chakra coming from the dome now and he couldn't stop the tremor of fear that went through him.

A small, terrified cry escaped Eizan's lips when she saw the arm stretch from the hole in the sphere. The hands on her shoulders tightened considerably as she moved to jump down out of instinct. She knew what this meant, and she tried to fight against the hold but both of them came to grip her with two hands.

'_It can't break free, not now!'_ Her nails dug harshly into her palms as she tried to calm herself but it did no good.

Sasuke continued to stare at the appendage in shock and watched as it started to slither back and into the opening his Chidori had made. As the deformed arm disappeared inside he was able to see a bulking figure moving around inside since the hole hadn't closed yet. Then as it ceased its motion, an eye came into view and it was followed by a burst of chakra and killing intent that left Sasuke trembling and gasping with fear.

He could tell by the strangeness of the pupil, that it was not human. At that moment an image of similar, crimson orbs flashed in his mind. _'His eyes are like...'_

'_Are you hurt, scaredy-cat?'_ Naruto's words floated back to him. He remembered that his voice had almost been a growl, and his eyes had burned as red as his Sharingan. His, however, had been filled with wildness and so much malevolent intent that he had shuddered. This eye before him was similar but there was so much more blood thirst in it. He wanted to turn and flee.

The dome around Gaara cracked and disintegrated into sand around him. She almost sighed in relief when she saw that he had changed back to normal, but she was horrified to see the expression of pain on his features. His hand was gripping his bloodied shoulder against one of the two wounds he'd ever received in his entire life.

The sight of his blood was enough to drive her over the railing but the restraining hands stopped her again. Her nails dug into her palm once more and this time blood slipped past her clenched fingers.

Gaara lifted his weary face as his body heaved with every breath, and his gaze locked on the slightly taller boy. His right hand was pressed against the torn clothing and flesh where the Chidori had struck, and his pale fingers were stained a dark red. He took a step toward Sasuke even as he felt his limbs like leads.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

An ANBU member was crouched just behind the last row in the stands as he watched the battle taking place underneath. His hooded head turned to where the Hokage and Kazekage were sitting at. After a moment he brought his hands up in a seal.

'_Nehan Shoja no Jutsu!'_ As he performed this technique, those gathered beneath them would start to see blurry before feathers floated in front of their eyes.

"Kakashi! This is-!"

"Hai, Genjutsu," Kakashi muttered and brought his hand up into a single seal as Gai did the same. "Kai!" He frowned as he looked around and saw that all the civilians and some ninja had fallen under the Genjutsu, and wasn't surprised that Sakura was one of the ones that had managed to dispel the illusion.

The Copy-nin _was_ surprised to see that Naruto was one of the few Genin that hadn't passed out. He had no doubt that the kunoichi could, and knew that Naruto had been able to do it because of Haku's training. Although, he knew that a lot was because the blonde was growing into the great ninja he always said be would be.

All movement ceased as a smoke bomb went off in front of where the Hokage and Kazekage were seated. "Hokage-sama!" The copy-nin and others started to move.

A team of ANBU dashed past. "Leave Hokage-sama to us!" the leader told them as he lead his team toward the tower. He was clothed in a white hood while the rest of them were in black ones.

Meanwhile, Baki and Enoki frowned as they stood and recovered from their slight surprise. That was the signal, and so the destruction of Konoha had begun.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Eizan gasped and jumped over the rail, and this time she wasn't stopped. She disappeared in midair and appeared next to the red head. Amane and Iwane jumped up onto the roof, and watched and waited.

The signal had been given but their sole purpose was to protect each other and right now Eizan needed them to look over her. However, her only concern was Gaara at the moment. So they were alert since soon it would be obvious that Suna had betrayed Konoha.

There were four ANBU dressed in black cloaks crouched before the smoke and they turned as the leader arrived with three more ANBU at his side. "2nd squad, take the top," he spoke as the other four in black turned to look at him. "6th squad, take the bottom. Protect the feudal lords!" They moved as one and jumped off the roof to carry out the order.

The ANBU leader, who wore a porcelain neko mask, turned toward the smoke and saw the two Suna-nin that had been with Kazekage come out of the smoke. They withdrew kunai and attacked.

He growled as he withdrew his weapons "Out of the way!" It was a testament to his skill when he promptly sliced both figures in half. They fell on the roof in two pieces and the other three members jumped toward the smoke.

A cry of pain came from within but they couldn't tell who it had come from, and anyone within hearing range turned toward the tower in worry. Suddenly, two figures shot out of the smoke and they were identified as the Hokage being held prisoner by the Kazekage. Sunagakure had betrayed them!

From the two Suna ninja that had been killed, four figures shot out and surrounded the two older men, and formed a rectangle formation. They were three males and one female.

There was a dark skinned shinobi with six arms and an Oto hitai-ate around his forehead. He wore a sleeveless pale lavender top that ended at his knees, and a white ying yang sign over his groin area. Underneath that was a sleeveless black shirt, and he had a purple rope tied around the waist. His black hair was tied at the top of his head in a similar fashion as Iruka and his black eyes were narrowed on the ANBU before them.

The second male had pale features and straight purple hair. His lips were painted blue and lifted into a slight smirk. He wore a similar shirt but a darker color with the same ying and yang sign, but his had long sleeves held in place by his black bands. Around his neck there was a maroon beaded necklace and a large scroll on his back, and over his shoulder it appeared like another head was hanging from his back.

The kunoichi was wearing something similar as well but hers was of a pale pink color and with black pants instead of the white her other companions wore. She also had the rope around her waist, and like her purple haired teammate, she wore no headband or anything to associate her with a village. Her dark hair could be a lighter shade of red and it hung to her shoulders and some fell into her face and dark brown eyes. A black hat was stuffed over her head and the same black bands were seen on her wrists.

The tallest of the four had almost no hair except for a bit of orange fuzz on the sides and the top of his head. He was wearing almost the same thing as his six armed comrade and the purple rope around his waist. The legs of his black pants were held in place by bandages and he wore the same black sandals and bands as the other three. While the others were slender, he was heavy set and looked strong.

They were Oto shinobi. When the smoke cleared, they saw a figure with several kunai sticking out of his stomach and chest collapsed against the wall where the Hokage had been. It was Namiashi Raido.

"Raido-san," the Anbu commander muttered with worry. He almost moved to help the Jonin but paused when he saw three figures moving in his direction. The frown that crossed his face remained unseen as he turned back to the front. "We are going to help Hokage-sama. Be careful of any traps."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Haku frowned as he heard the smoke bomb go off and he was alert immediately. His team and he had been able to dispel the illusion. He was use to doing so and Sanako had been taught well by her mother, and she had awoken her snoozing brother.

"What the hell is going on?" Anzai wondered out loud as he rubbed his head where he had bumped it when he had fallen under the Genjutsu. His cobalt eyes shifted to their oldest team member as if he expected him to have the answer.

"Seems like an attack, duh!" Sanako muttered and punched him against his right arm. He whined and called her abusive as she smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Quiet," Haku told them sternly as the cry resounded from where the Hokage was. They all turned expectantly in that direction and were worried that perhaps it had been Sandaime that had been hit or injured.

They watched the two figures leave the smoke and saw that it was Hokage and the Kazekage. "Hokage-sama!" Sanako gasped and then cried out when she saw the smoke clear.

"Raido-sensei!" Anzai exclaimed and stepped forward before jumping in his direction. Haku and Sanako didn't hesitate to follow him and didn't even see the ANBU move to help the Hokage, only thinking of their instructor.

Haku growled and he killed an attacking Sound-nin as Sanako's enhanced hands dealt with another and Anzai's controlled weapons killed a third. They arrived beside their Jonin sensei and the kunoichi quickly checked that he was still alive and sighed in relief when she realized that he was.

"Oh, thank Kami-sama!" she breathed. Her hands glowed and she let the healing chakra seep into his body to close the wounds spilling his life's blood after having removed the kunai. "He's alive...alive."

Haku and Anzai felt relief flood them but didn't take their eyes off their surroundings in case they were attacked. They would help the other leaf-nin defend their homes as soon as they ensured that Raido was out of danger.

The former Nukenin turned and watched what was happening in the stadium and saw his opponent. His eyes narrowed on him as he noticed that there were Suna-nin attacking shinobi from Konoha. _'Suna has betrayed Konoha.'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Ninpou, Shishi Enjin!" the four Oto ninja cried simultaneously as a purple, rectangle barrier went up with the four ninja being the connectors. One of the masked Konoha ANBU tried to pass through the barrier. He was repelled as he burst into flames and his screams were soon drowned out as he fell on the roof in a lifeless, charred lump of flesh. They could not get through.

As the explosions rang out, the sounds of battle started to fill the arena, but Eizan's only concern was Gaara. She glared at his two siblings as they appeared on either side of them and her body tensed when she saw Baki in front of them. They didn't dare approach. The signal had been given but she didn't care. Gaara was hurt and he needed her.

"Gaara, the plan..." Baki turned slightly and was disturbed by the sight of the suffering shinobi. "Baka, I can't believe he would try to undergo complete possession without waiting for the signal!"

Temari stepped toward her younger brother but didn't reach out to touch him. "He's suffering a reaction." He turned to look at her sensei. "He can't do it anymore!" Eizan's lips pulled back in a snarl as she listened to them.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Kankurou demanded. "You want us to go ahead without Gaara?" He also moved to stand a bit closer to his brother.

Gaara wasn't paying attention as he gripped his head in pain, having been brought to his knees as he leaned unconsciously against Eizan. She, meanwhile, was distracted as her own instructor appeared behind her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled. "You have to go through with the plan if Gaara can't!" He stepped toward her and hissed as he jumped back at the wave of heat that rushed at him. The other three Suna-nin did the same.

"I will not leave his side," she growled. Her eyes shifted toward the Uchiha and their gazes met over the distance. The proctor of the exam, Shiranui Genma, was standing in front of him and watching the whole scene intently. Amane and Iwane had been standing guard and had taken out a few weak leaf shinobi but luckily hadn't fought against any high level ninja.

Genma wore the customary Jonin attire, with his head band hitai-ate reversed so the village symbol faced the back. His hands were stuffed into his pockets as he chewed nonchalantly on the senbon, staring Baki down. The man didn't seem all that motivated to fight, but any that challenged him would see the promise of death within his eyes.

"I'm calling it off," Baki told his two uninjured Genin subordinates. He knew that Gaara was in no condition to fight and it looked like Eizan would refuse to do so with the red head hurt. "You two take Gaara and withdraw for now." They looked ready to protest. "I'm going to help fight. Go!"

Kankurou and Temari nodded and turned to look at Eizan, the hostility coming from her in waves. They were too terrified for their lives to approach and Gaara seemed to be the only one not being affected by it.

The short girl clenched her teeth as Kankurou and Temari turned to look at them. She was fully prepared to refuse the Jonin's orders, but Gaara's voice stopped her. "Do as he says," he growled quietly, already realizing that he was too weak to fight against Sasuke at the moment. Eizan was worried that he might change, however, and that he would lose himself to the monster inside. "You will go to Oto after I leave."

A searing pain engulfed her heart as she closed her eyes and lowered her head so her bangs shielded them from view. It was several seconds before she could respond where her voice wouldn't crack. "Hai...Gaara-dono," she responded quietly, feeling a tightening in the back of her throat which she couldn't identify.

"Stop calling me that," he told her before fiercely shoving her hand away and leaning against Kankurou as he came to his side. Temari moved to his other side, their faces solemn and they quickly left the stadium, not wanting to look at the fire wielder and what they might see on her face.

Actually, they would only see her lips pressed in a thin, bloodless line since her bangs still hid her eyes from view. "Amane, Iwane," she called after the other team had left. They were beside her almost instantly. "Follow them... Keep him safe." Amane opened her mouth to ask her what she planned on doing, but the shorter girl lifted a hand to silence her as she clenched her teeth to a point that it was painful. "Just..._go_!"

Iwane frowned, knowing that something was wrong. Something had happened during the past month to cause Eizan to close her mind and emotions off, and now they found that they couldn't even read her expression. Her emerald eyes narrowed on her but after a moment she gave a sigh before nodding.

They quickly left after the Ashikaga had refused to even look at them. When she looked at Amane, she saw a helpless look on the wind users' face. Something was terribly wrong. They just wished they knew what that was before it was too late.

When they were gone, Enoki moved to speak again, but Eizan turned away and walked off before he could get a word in. Nothing else needed to be said to her. She knew what Gaara wanted her to do. Taking off her Suna hitai-ate, she stuffed it into her pouch at her back before she started to form seals. She had to get rid of the enemy and at the moment, everyone was her enemy.

'_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!'_ The fire that was expelled from her mouth cut through the air toward two ninja that were fighting one another. One was a Konoha-nin and the other from Oto. Even then, she didn't hesitate and only watched as the fire consumed both of them as their screams soon joined others.

They fell left and right under her fury. Suna, Oto and Konoha alike died at her hand. She didn't care anymore as she gave herself over to the seal, and the black flames started to spread over her neck and across her face. The red cracks appeared across her eyes and her pupils became slits.

Enoki was in shock, seeing as she killed shinobi and not distinguishing between villages. He rushed up to her side but when he would have reached for her shoulder, he yelped in pain and jumped away. Her aura had been an inferno that only she would be able to survive. He glanced at a bit of his exposed skin and saw a second degree burn that had been inflicted by the chakra alone. It was evident that any that approached her would be hurt.

Now even _he _was backing away since he didn't wish to perish by her hand. Plus, he had seen the black markings that marred her face and the terrifying look in her eyes. She had allowed the curse seal to consume her.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:**  
1. **Chidori:** _lit_. "One Thousand Birds"  
2. **Nehan Shoja no Jutsu:** _lit._ "Temple of Nirvana Technique"  
3. **Ninpou, Shishi Enjin: **_lit._ "Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment"  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Twenty-one**_

_Heh, Shadows-upon-Sand suggested that I add this to the end. Please review! lol, there! Although, I __**do**__ want people to review my story, I want them to do it because they enjoy reading it and not because they feel obligated. Although, positive reviews and constructive criticism __**do**__ motivate the author to write and so please review! n.n That is all, thank you._


	24. Unexpected Rematch

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer**:If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri Linked to _'Caught In The Rain'_

**AN:** I was forced to cut chapter 21 into another chapter because it was too long! T.T Oh such a tragedy, but yup... -sigh- Once again, thanks to my oh so awesome beta, Shadows-upon-Sand! She rocks! n.n After this one, there are only two more chapters! How sad! Now, here is the chapter.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Twenty-two: Unexpected Rematch**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Raido-sensei!" he heard someone call him. His eyes fluttered open and he was met with the sight of the kunoichi of his Genin team leaning over him. He groaned as he moved his limbs experimentally and sat up with the help of the younger female. "Oh, thank Kami," she muttered as she hastily wiped her eyes.

"Hokage-sama," he gasped suddenly as he tried to stand up but the girl forced him to be still. He remembered that the Suna ninja had released the smoke bomb and had dulled his senses. The kunai had struck him when he'd tried to get to the Hokage and then he'd known no more.

"Don't move, Raido-sensei, you're hurt," Sanako chastised and forced him to stop moving. Her face was grim and he felt dread clench his heart. Something was wrong.

"The old man is trapped inside a barrier with the Kazekage," Anzai told him, glancing momentarily over his shoulder at his instructor. He didn't show it, but he was also relieved that the man hadn't been killed.

Haku hadn't let his gaze leave the fighting taking place once and wanted to help, but didn't want to leave his teammates and sensei by themselves. His eyes lingered on the figures in the stadium and saw that Eizan had joined the red head. It was now plainly obvious that Suna had betrayed Konoha.

As he watched, the rest of the Suna Genin left and then his former opponent removed his hitai-ate and started to attack. He was a bit shocked when he noticed that he was not distinguishing between villages. The younger boy was killing randomly.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kakashi had sent Sakura, Naruto and Shikamaru after Sasuke. He had also sent one of his tracking dogs, Pakkun with them. Now, as he dispatched the sound ninja he fought against, he looked down and was met with quite a disturbing sight.

The Suna Genin that was known only as Ashikaga Eizan was killing left and right. While that might not have been too startling since they were fighting one another, the disturbing part was that he was killing Suna shinobi as well as Oto. There was a sickening look on his face, lips twisted up in a maniacal grin.

Also, he saw black flames marking his face and along his left arm and realized that he must have been bitten by Orochimaru. The Ten no Juin had been placed on him, just like Anko. His eyes, which he believed were ebony, now had blood red cracks forming over their surfaces and the pupils were contracted like a viper. Kakashi knew that he had to do something, seeing as the boy lifted his hand to perform another fire jutsu.

A Konoha Chunin lunged in his direction and the Copy-nin's eyes narrowed on him. Kakashi was quite shocked when the man seemed to burst into flame before he even touched the Sand-nin. The other hadn't even turned to look in his direction and he merely continued to move forward. Even from this distance, the gray haired shinobi could feel a monstrous chakra coming from him and it felt like an inferno. He started to make seals to a technique he had seen Sandaime perform once, as he had observed it with his Sharingan and copied it.

'_Suiton: Suishoha!'_ The large capacity of water appeared out of no where and he directed it at the figure below. The boy turned before it reached him, and the Jonin almost felt guilty as his eyes widened in horror.

His hands moved, quickly forming seals to try and counter it. The Gokakyu no Jutsu met his water technique but the jutsu still managed to partially hit him and Kakashi winced at the high pitched scream that tore from his mouth. When the water dissipated, he saw the other fall to his knees as he clutched his shoulder. There was blood streaming from between his fingers, but he was almost relieved when he saw that the black flames had receded.

The Suna ninja had been the one that Orochimaru had marked, but Anko had reported that it was a kunoichi... Realization dawned on him as he looked down at the young girl below. He wondered why Orochimaru was interested in her. She had an enormous chakra but he knew there had to be something more than that.

Eizan shuddered as another wave of agony gripped her body and the fingers pressing against the wound were already bloody. The Katon jutsu hadn't been strong enough to cancel the Suiton technique out but at least it had managed to change its course slightly or the damage would've been worse. Her whole body shook uncontrollably as her eyes lifted and fastened on the figure that had performed it.

A smirk found its way onto her face since she saw whom it was. _'Of course,'_ she thought. Hatake Kakashi was a skilled ninja who had no doubt been listed on many village Bingo Books. She'd been distracted and he'd taken advantage of it with his Sharingan.

The Ashikaga stiffened as a ninja appeared in front of her, ready to attack her as he raised his kunai to bring it down and end her life. She was quite shocked as another figure appeared before her, performing Kaze no Yaiba and the leaf shinobi fell under the technique.

Her gaze lifted on none other than Enoki as she frowned, but chuckled coldly after a few moments. Of course he had defended her since they needed her abilities to crush Konoha. He was just like the rest of them that wanted nothing more that to use her and then abandon her.

His hands grasped her uninjured shoulder to help her up and she pulled away once she was on her feet. "Eizan," he spoke quietly, still watching for other enemies. "Go after Gaara." Her eyes, which had now returned to their normal color, lifted to meet his dark brown ones. A disarming grin that was hidden under his mask crept over his features at her suspicious look. "I realized something that I should have said long ago."

He flicked a kunai at an approaching Konoha ninja, and the sharpened edge plunged through his neck. "You were never a monster. We just looked at you as one and so you saw no choice but to become one to survive."

She was shocked at his proclamation and he chuckled sadly before shaking his head and turning away. "Uchiha Sasuke has gone after Gaara. Go quickly." Her eyes shot to where the raven haired boy had been and saw that he was indeed gone.

Baki was fighting the proctor, and it looked like he was losing. When she turned to look back at Enoki his gaze was fastened overhead on the Copy Ninja. She frowned but he shook his head before she could speak. "Don't start caring about my welfare now because you'll make me regret my decision."

Even if she couldn't see his face she knew that he was smiling. Suddenly, she realized that during the year that he had taught them, the hate had vanished from his eyes. "You better hurry."

She felt sorrow at not having realized things earlier. This might very well be the last time she saw the man. "Hai, Enoki-sensei," she replied as she heard the man laugh. It had been the first time she had used his name, referring to him as a student would a teacher.

Eizan left then and her final glimpse of Kazuyoshi Enoki was as he rushed toward Hatake Kakashi who moved to meet him head on. _'Farewell, sensei.'_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane watched as the red head knocked the blonde out of his way. He then turned to face his adversary, Uchiha Sasuke. Iwane was crouched on a tree branch nearby and she only turned to watch Temari hit a nearby tree trunk before returning her attention to the two figures below.

"Don't interfere," Gaara growled at the girls. He was clutching his head and he winced when a wave of pain swept through him.

The wind user smiled but her eyes were like ice. "We didn't plan on it." Iwane grinned from over head.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Sanako, Anzai," Raido muttered as he coughed and took in a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He knew that he was still too weak to be able to help in the fighting but his team wasn't. It had been only a few months that he'd been working with them but he had already gauged their skills and knew they were already at the Chunin level. "You must warn the Academy. They might not know and the students could get caught in the crossfire. Go now."

Anzai's features hardened as he nodded and he jumped away. His sister lingered only a moment to throw a worried look to the stands before she quickly followed him without a word. They understood that the children had to be protected. They were innocent and the future of Konoha.

Haku glanced at his sensei, taking his eyes off the scene of the injured Eizan. He'd been attacked by Hatake Kakashi. "Take," he said now. The older man glanced below and was in time to see the fleeing Suna-nin. "You finish your fight and find out if he really was faking."

The former mist shinobi was silent as he also turned to watch the Ashikaga leave the stadium and his eyes narrowed. "I have never enjoyed killing," he said quietly. A ray of sun glinted off his Konoha hitai-ate as the fighting continued below and all around them.

"It is part of being shinobi," Raido informed him. "A part of the path you choose so you could protect those that are important to you."

He smiled slightly as he nodded. "Hai. To protect those that are precious to me." His eyes hardened and knew that the Sand ninja had gone after Gaara and Sasuke had followed the red head. Naruto had more than likely gone after the Uchiha as well. "I will protect them now." He flickered and disappeared.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The blonde lifted the kunai with the exploding note as he leaned against the tree trunk, feeling the sharp contours biting into his flesh through the material of his clothes. He didn't feel it. All he knew was the figure of what had once been the red haired Suna-nin as he battled against his Kage Bunshin.

His breathing was almost non-existent since he didn't want the half transformed youth to know he was there and the sound of the clones being dispelled by force reverberated against his ears. _'Ten...eleven...twelve,'_ he silently counted every time he heard the explosion of another bunshin disappearing. _'Ten more.'_

Naruto's thoughts were brought back to the short haired kunoichi from Sand and his features twisted into an expression of pain. He quickly shook his head clear of these thoughts, not wanting to be distracted by the betrayal of whom he thought was his friend.

_'She is my enemy,'_ he told himself firmly. He shifted in place, preparing to move. However, even as he let that thought burn in his mind he couldn't help the way his heart clenched. _'She's...my enemy.'_ Naruto swallowed the lump of emotion that lodged in his throat and wished that it wasn't true.

He quickly glanced around the tree at the pink haired kunoichi pinned against the trunk by the sand and Sasuke, who had slipped into unconsciousness sometime during his fight. His features hardened as his grip on the kunai tightened. _'If she's my enemy, then so be it.'_ He wouldn't allow her or anyone to harm those precious to him.

However, Naruto couldn't get her eyes out of his mind. They had been tortured and filled with the same loneliness that he'd felt most of his life. He could tell that she must have lost everything like Sasuke had and this thing he was fighting was one of the few people left that she still cared about. _'I understand.'_

That didn't change the fact that this invasion, this betrayal, made them enemies. _'I'll have to change that.'_ He smirked and forced his mind to concentrate. _'But first, I have to knock some sense into this baka.'_ He seemed to disappear, and the next second the surrounding area was filled with the sound of the exploding note as it ignited.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

'_Kuso!'_ She couldn't help but curse mentally, clutching her shoulder and staring at Hideaki Takejiro as he stood before her.

She'd left the stadium in a desperate attempt to catch up with the others, but had been intercepted half way there. Eizan knew why he was standing in front of her right now.

"Come for a rematch?" she asked with a strained smirk. He should have realized she'd given him the win during the third exam.

"You will not hold back," he only told her as he shifted into his stance with ease born of many years of fighting.

The smirk stayed on despite the pain. "I'll try not to disappoint you," she replied sarcastically. Her limbs were slightly stiff as she fell into her stance, and clenched her teeth as a jolt of pain went through her.

During their previous fight it had been through pure will power that she'd been able to keep the curse seal at bay. However, she'd let it consume her during the invasion. It had been a mistake and now she was paying for it. It had taken over her mind until she knew only darkness, and if she let it, the Ten no Juin would ravage her very soul.

Eizan quickly removed some bandages and wrapped them around her shoulder wound that had already stopped bleeding, but she was sure that it would tear open during their fight. She knew it couldn't be helped.

Their weapons met with a resounding clash before they broke away. It continued on like that for several minutes before they paused for a breather. Neither had gained the upper hand as of yet.

Haku had been able to recover most of his chakra and would be able to perform his demonic ice mirrors when the time was right. He knew that he had to wait for the right moment or the other might dodge it and he would have wasted his chakra for nothing.

This is what Eizan had wanted during the Chunin exam so she could prove her brother's training and all her efforts had paid off. She had wanted to be able to face Take on even terms, but that had changed. Now she only wished to be rid of the older boy. Her only concern was Gaara and her teammates.

She was worried for the girls since the red head had become unstable and if he lost control then they'd be in trouble. Eizan didn't even want to think about what might happen if that occurred.

Taking several shuriken, she threw them at her fast approaching opponent and flashed through some hand seals. He dodged them easily and threw several senbon that hit her in several places over her body.

The bunshin disappeared in smoke and her real body appeared where she'd thrown the shuriken. She caught them and quickly flung them at Haku's slightly distracted frame.

Haku felt one of the weapons nick his arm as he jumped away, and the area caught fire. The projectiles had become super heated. He quickly suffocated the small flame with his hand and turned to face the shinobi as he finished forming hand seals. A blade of fire ripped through the ground toward him as he formed the last seal to his jutsu.

The needles of water shot straight out of the ground in the form of a protective wall. As the techniques cancelled each other out, both shinobi were moving and their weapons met with a clash.

"You seem a bit hasty," he commented as they tried to over power one another.

She smirked and gave a slight laugh. "I'm only taking this fight more seriously," was her reply. It was the truth since she was serious about defeating him to get going after the red head and her comrades.

Haku twisted his wrist and disengaged their weapons and lifted his foot in a kick. His opponent ducked in a crouch and immediately executed a foot sweep. He was tripped and landed on his back, and quickly rolled to his left to avoid Eizan's foot which impacted the ground hard enough to break it.

The older ninja manipulated his body almost like a wind mill by fanning out his legs. The Ashikaga jumped back but was fairly impressed at how fast and efficient the leaf-nin moved with his kimono and zori on. She smirked and knew that any other time she might have let herself enjoy the fight.

However, for now she needed to end it as quickly as possible.

They simultaneously threw senbon and shuriken as they collided and as two of the projectiles bounced back they grasped them and met each other. A split second later they broke apart only for their weapons to meet again between the distance that separated them as the owners formed seals.

'_Jigoku no Yaiba!'_

'_Sensatsu Suisho!__'_

The two attacks met with a ferocious impact as the ninja paused momentarily to lock gazes. It seemed they'd come to a stand still for the moment. Haku, however, lifted his hand in a single and final seal as the temperature dropped drastically.

Eizan gasped as her breath came out white and she jumped away as she quickly formed seals. The older ninja appeared in front of her and a moment later she was landing back into the middle of the mirrors. He entered the nearest one as the Ashikaga coughed and she sat up as she tried to catch her breath since he'd knocked the air out of her.

"Son of a bitch got me," she muttered and stood. She spat out a bit of blood and peered up and around as his image appeared in every surface of the mirrors.

The multiple imagines lifted their hands which all held senbon and threw them into the center. She pulled out a kunai and deflected the projectiles. It was slightly easier to block them now since she'd already been trapped in this jutsu, but knew she couldn't risk being inside for too long.

"Same trick won't work on me twice," she said as she gripped her shoulder with a wince. The bandages had been soaked in red which meant that the wound had torn sometime during the fight. She hadn't felt it before since the pain of the curse seal took dominance in her mind.

"We shall see," he simply commented as every single image lifted both hands full of senbon. His pale, feminine face was devoid of emotion but she saw that his eyes were not cruel.

Eizan could also see that the amount of weapons would be too much for her to stop all at once. Even then she fitted a kunai in each hand as one rested beside her waist while the other was in front of her chest. She needed to keep as many from hitting her as possible.

She spun as he unleashed the senbon and blocked most of them but one impaled her left thigh, right shoulder and her back between her shoulder blades. A curse left her lips as she tried to stop the grimace of pain from crossing her face.

When the leaf-nin lifted his hands to send more needles toward her she started to form seals as she built her chakra. This was the opposite version of the jutsu she'd used on Baki and Hayate.

They'd seen what she had wanted them to see and at the same time making both men dizzy and thus vulnerable. That's how she'd been able to knock the leaf shinobi out, bind his limbs and gag him, and put him in a chakra draining net. She'd used a bunshin to make the Suna Jonin believe she was still there as she put the other in a safe place until she could return to recover him.

The Ashikaga hadn't wanted to kill the Tokubetsu Jonin and had kept him prisoner the past month. She knew that after the invasion she wouldn't be able to return to set him free, so she'd left a scroll behind in Naruto's apartment with instructions on how to find the man. However, she wondered if the blonde would trust anything she'd left there after all this.

'_Ninpou, Chi no Hi Yaiba!__'_ She finished the last seal and the very air rippled around her as several fiery blades crashed into the mirrors in front of her. A gasp left her mouth as several senbon impaled her back since she'd left herself open to his attack to be able to attack and weaken his mirrors.

"Do me a favor," she muttered as she sank to her knees. "Tell Naruto-san that the scroll is not intended to hurt anyone." She coughed but smirked moments later as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Haku's eyes widened. _'Bunshin?!'_ He turned as a monstrous amount of chakra manifested behind him.

'_Katon, Hikuro no Tsukasa.'_

The former mist-nin saw Eizan's kneeling figure surrounded by a fiery chakra and a moment later, a pair of black wings made of fire appeared at his back. The trees around him were reduced to ash as they extended wide as if to lift him into flight. Haku watched as the wings came toward him in a sweeping arch and slammed into the mirrors.

Since the time he'd used this jutsu on Naruto and Sasuke, he had trained hard to make it stronger and had succeeded. Now he was amazed as the fire cut easily through each mirror. He cursed and jumped out of the one he had been in and moved back to avoid the wings as they continued to spread toward him, however, he realized that they were coming too fast toward him.

A moment before he was hit a figure appeared before him with their arms extended. It was shocking when he realized that it was Ashikaga Eizan. Even more surprising was that he made no grimace of pain as he was hit and only stumbled forward slightly at the impact.

Haku had used too much of his chakra to try and keep the mirrors from becoming damaged during the first Katon attack and now he had almost none left. He watched as his opponent formed seals and wondered how the Suna-nin still had chakra where he didn't.

'_Ninpou, Ten no Hi Yaiba!__'_ He could only watch as the same blades of fire that had hit his mirrors came at him, and moments later a feeling of vertigo seized him. The former Nukenin crumpled to the ground as a powerful hit was delivered to the back of his neck.

Eizan peered down at Take as she dispelled the Genjutsu and turned her tired features toward the sky. She sighed and tried to relax but the fight had exhausted her since she'd been injured to start with.

As she turned away, she pulled her hitai-ate out of her pouch to put it on and gasped as she came to an abrupt halt. Pain coursed through her as a line of blood trailed out of the side of her mouth before she coughed and more coursed down her chin.

"Didn't I tell you that you'd come to Orochimaru-sama?" someone asked cruelly. "You know, they abandoned you...all within Suna are traitors." The voice was cruel but she could hear nothing false about it. Her vision was claimed by darkness and that thought continued to burn in the back of her mind. _'They betrayed me?'_

Yakushi Kabuto lifted the kunoichi's smaller body bridal style as he looked once toward the smoke rising from Konoha. He smirked and turned in the direction that would lead him to Otogakure. His purpose in the invasion had been fulfilled.

The Oto spy disappeared into the trees that surrounded the battle torn area. Eizan's blood splattered hitai-ate had fallen where she had been standing only moments before.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1.** Ninpou, Chi no Hi Yaiba:** _lit. _"Fire Blades of Earth".  
2.** Katon, Hikuro no Tsukasa: **_lit._ "Wings of Black Fire"  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Twenty-two**_

_Once again, please press that little button at the bottom of the page for a review! Please and thank you._


	25. Desperate Chase

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author:** shattered-words

**Disclaimer**:If I owned Naruto, it's be called _'Gaara'_. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri Linked to _'Caught in the Rain'_

**AN:** Here is the next installment in the story and also the last chapter before the Epilogue. I apologize if the dialogue doesn't match what Naruto said to Gaara but I had no chance at the time to go back and see the episode. Besides, because of Haku changing him, Naru has changed o.o so...yeah, lol. Anywho, here it is. Thanks to my beta Shadows-upon-Sand. Without her I would take longer to post these. Please read and review, and don't forget to enjoy! n.n

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Chapter Twenty-three: Desperate Chase**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I'm sorry," the red head said to his siblings' amazement. He was being supported between them since he'd used too much chakra against the fight. The Uchiha had been weaker than he'd thought and had gone for the kill. Then Naruto had intervened and sent him flying back with a kick. They had fought and he'd lost.

'_They are the reason I'm strong! I fight to protect them because they are precious to me. Don't you have someone that is important to you? Isn't there someone that you wish to protect and make happy?!'_

The words spoken by the blonde had filled him with confusion and understanding at the same time. As he thought more of them, a sudden wave of dread washed over him as Eizan's face came to mind. _'What have I done?'_ he asked himself, but there was no answer that could comfort him now.

He turned as two figures appeared on either side of Temari and Kankurou and he could feel the slight tensing of his brother and sister at having the kunoichi so close. They didn't speak or even look at him but he could tell by the emotion in their eyes that they wanted to go look for their friend.

"Itagaki, Erizawa," he addressed them, not remembering their names. "Bring Eizan to me." He knew what his voice sounded like but at the moment he didn't care.

Amane frowned at his tone and Iwane's eyes narrowed on his weary face. "What did you do?" the usually silent Suna-nin demanded.

"Onegai," he pleaded, not answering the question. "Bring her to me." He had never said such words or felt such urgency to have the girl by his side. The last he had seen of her, she had been standing in the middle of the stadium as the sound of fighting resounded around them. _'Is she still there?'_ He felt that something was terribly wrong.

"I'll kill you if anything's happened to her," Iwane promised. She fell back and turned around. Amane didn't say anything but her ebony orbs relayed the same message to him before she followed after her comrade.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Haku was instantly alert as two figures paused in the clearing that Eizan's jutsu had made. He held the bloody Suna headband in his hand and had been wondering if the other had dropped it. Then he'd realized that he hadn't been wearing it during their fight.

He was still weak and wouldn't be able to fight but he remained where he was as the shinobi moved toward him. A feeling of confusion filled him when he realized that it was Eizan's teammates.

They wouldn't be here unless something had happened to the sand-nin after he'd left. Or perhaps they intended to finish him off. He doubted that since his opponent would have already done it before leaving.

Both ninja surrounded him and pressed kunai to vital points. "Where is she?" the tallest of the two asked as black orbs narrowed on his face.

He was confused as to whom they were referring to. "Dare?" he asked, only to have the sand-nin's blade pressed harder against his throat so it almost broke the skin.

"Don't act stupid," the emerald-eyed ninja growled. "You're holding Eizan-sama's hitai-ate. Where is she?!"

Everything suddenly clicked into place about things he'd noticed about the short haired Suna shinobi, but he allowed his face to remain devoid of emotion. "Shirimasen," he admitted. "She defeated me and when I woke up she was gone. I found her hitai-ate on the ground."

"You lie," the Erizawa hissed and pressed the kunai's tip more into his back. He could tell that she knew the human body well. If she were to drive the weapon deep enough then she'd damage the spinal cord and deprive him of his ability to walk.

"Iie, I do not," he told her. He lifted the headband so they could take it. "Gomen, but I don't know where she is."

Iwane was about to say more when she noticed something and turned. There was the faint retreat of footsteps from where a bit of blood had splattered the ground. "A set of tracks," she told her teammate.

"Doko?" Amane asked without taking her gaze off the older boy.

"Leading north," she replied with a grim face. They both knew that Oto lay toward the north. The thought that the Sound had betrayed them crossed their minds. Amane frowned as she snatched the hitai-ate from Haku's hand, turned and was gone in the next instant.

Haku inclined his head to the side to glance at the other Suna-nin behind him who peered up at him unflinchingly. "Did you stay to finish me off?" he asked calmly.

The Erizawa smirked and let the cool metal of the weapon slip across his throat. "I was thinking that it's a shame that such a pretty face is on a boy," she said thoughtfully. "And if you lied to me, I will cut it off." She disappeared with a flicker of motion.

Haku relaxed as he sighed, and didn't realize he'd been holding his breath. The shinobi's emerald eyes had been maniacal and terrible to look at and the words spoken the truth. The kunoichi was obviously one of their precious people and would thus do anything to protect her.

He could honestly say that he pitied those that had taken Eizan when the sand shinobi caught up to them.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Amane landed beside her crouched teammate as her emerald orbs studied the ground intently. She suddenly shifted and dashed off again with the Itagaki hot on her heels. Meanwhile, she was keeping her ears open for any noise other than the slight ones they were making.

The Erizawa was hardly making a sound and had barely torn her gaze away from their prey's tracks. It had already been determined that there was a single person and from the tracks it was either a heavy set person or he was carrying someone. Both girls were more than certain that it was someone and he was holding Eizan.

They were gaining on them judging from the freshness of the tracks when the wind user heard the approach of footsteps from the direction they were headed in. She signaled Iwane and the other nodded to indicated that she'd seen it.

The girls separated as one and used a similar version of Kakuremino no Jutsu to blend in to their surroundings. They prepared themselves to ambush whoever was approaching. It didn't matter who it might be.

A group of four Oto-nin came into the clearing they had just abandoned moments before and stopped as if they sensed danger. It was too late as Iwane and Amane finished the last seals of their jutsu.

'_Doton, Shichuro no Jutsu!__'_

'_Kaze no Yaiba!__'_

The four walls of the Erizawa's earth prison surrounded all four startled ninja and sealed at the top and the blade of wind demolished the whole structure.

Two figures shot out of the rubble, injured but still alive. Both girls lunged at them and attacked with prejudice. Amane knew that Iwane's hot blooded nature wouldn't allow her to leave her opponent alive and so she was forced to curve her actions and left hers breathing.

Iwane approached with a bloody kunai in hand from where she had slit the sound-nin's throat and wiping a red stain from her cheek. "Where is Eizan-sama?" she asked the downed, older man.

It didn't appear like he'd talk and the earth user wasted no time in breaking every single finger of his right hand as Amane muffled his screams. "Let's do this nicely," she said with a sadistic grin. "Where is she?"

Several broken bones later and a threat to his crotch and he was ready to talk. "Kabuto-san took her to Otogakure," he said through clenched teeth, giving them detailed instructions on how to find it. "She rightfully belongs to Orochimaru-sama by the agreement with Suna."

Amane froze at those words and glanced at her teammate. Iwane's face had twisted into an expression of fury. "What?" she asked, and her voice was so quiet and cold that it sent a shiver through the Itagaki.

"The agreement between the villages was that Oto would help Suna in exchange for Ashikaga Eizan. Sand accepted by way of Sabaku no Gaara."

Iwane visibly flinched and Amane didn't hesitate to drive her kunai through the man's throat until he ceased to move. Only a gurgling sound came from him as his eyes rolled back into his head.

"Son of a bitch!" Iwane snarled and dashed toward the direction the Sound shinobi had indicated they should go. Amane appeared in front of her and she stopped with slight surprise. "Get out of my way."

She shook her head. "He has too much of a head start on us. We'll never catch up to him before he reaches Otogakure." Her voice was calm but she was filled with the same rage her friend was feeling.

"I don't give a damn! I'll march right into Oto and kill everyone that's touched her," she yelled and went to move around her.

Amane sighed and pulled her hand back and let it fly. The slap resounded through the relatively silent woods and made Iwane stop in her tracks. Her hand gripped her rapidly swelling cheek as she stared at the taller girl in disbelief.

"Stop and think for a moment," Amane actually yelled. She paused as if she'd surprised herself and breathed in deeply to calm down. "Eizan-sama would knock you into the ground if she heard you talking like that." She turned and glared toward the north.

"We have to retreat and return to Suna to report this to Gaara-san." She turned her glare on Iwane as the girl started to protest. "It could be a lie and Oto has betrayed Suna, and is now trying to confuse us into doing something stupid. If that's the case then we'll need more than the two of us to break into Sound to recover her."

Iwane gritted her teeth and clenched her hands to keep from knocking the other down and running. "And if it's the truth?" she asked as her voice shook.

Amane's eyes grew cold and hard. "Then I'll kill him."

"We might be cast out of Suna," she muttered, glancing longingly toward the north. "He's the Kazekage's son."

"Then so be it," she replied. They turned and disappeared into the gathering darkness, but now their destination was Sunagakure. As they did so their hearts ached at leaving their friend in enemy hands, but they had no choice. At times, being a shinobi was a harsh existence, and soon they'd discover how much worse it could get.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Iwane punched the wall over and over until the skin of her knuckles broke and bled bitter, red tears. "Shit, shit, **shit**!" she sobbed. She raised her fist back to hit her unmoving adversary again, but she was pulled back.

Amane's arms wrapped around her from behind as the shorter girl slumped against her. "We'll get her back," she whispered in her ear.

She repeated it several times but all Iwane could do was weep and clutch Eizan's hitai-ate in her uninjured hand. The blood had dried in the cloth and stained her own clothing a brownish color, but she refused to be parted from it.

"We'll get her back," Amane could only say as her own tears streaked her face.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She lifted the small, white cup to her lips and observed the figure standing in front of her desk over its edge. His features were devoid of emotion even after what he'd been told. It was almost like he had already known, but she could still see the pain in his dark orbs.

"You understand what you'll have to do and what it'll mean?" The cup was set on the desk besides an unraveled scroll. It contained what they were speaking of, and at the top, right hand corner "S-rank" had been written.

He nodded with determination. "I do," he said firmly. "I will complete this mission."

A sigh left her lips as she filled the cup again. "Normally someone of your rank wouldn't be given this type of mission," she said almost as if she spoke to herself.

"Hai," he actually agreed. "But no one else can do it. He would know immediately." He frowned slightly as he thought about everything he'd been told, and the details of the mission.

"There is no guaranteed time limit, and failure is not an option," she told him. "Only one other person besides you and I will know of this mission. You know the consequences of that?" He nodded but said nothing.

"Very well," she said and drowned the contents of the cup. "You leave tonight, and expect interference." She watched him for several moments. "Can you face him?"

Now he hesitated and turned to look out the window. "If I must. The mission must be completed at all costs." He met her eyes now. "Failure is not an option."

She smirked as he repeated her words and nodded. After reading over the contents once more, she rolled up the scroll they'd both signed and which had been stamped with her official seal. "You are dismissed then. Best of luck."

He gave a slight smirk. "I don't need luck," he said as he formed seals. He disappeared from sight in smoke and when it cleared he was gone. Where he had been standing was his hitai-ate.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair after sealing the scroll closed and putting it in a secret place. "I hope I don't regret this later."

A hand rubbed her tired eyes and thought back to the last several days since he'd approached her. She had sent word to bring the other person to their village, and most of the Jonin and Chunin had been sent on missions before hand. It had to be done in order for his mission to be successful. Although, she hoped there were no casualties.

The last mission that had been given of this magnitude had resulted in a few deaths. Mostly, it had been Oinin. She understood that her sensei had done what he needed to do in order to preserve lives. The deaths had not been predicted, but it had been a possibility.

She turned her gaze to one of her windows and peered outside. The sky had darkened with afternoon light and the wind had picked up. Soon autumn would catch up to them, and by that time many things will have changed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gaara left the Kazekage's tower after a meeting with the elders of Suna. Konoha had agreed to a meeting about reforming the alliance, but had been asked for their assistance. The elders had called him and he'd been told that his team would go as delegates of Suna.

"Itagaki, Erizawa," he said and two figures appeared. Iwane was leaning against the building with her hands stuffed into her pockets and her face turned away from him. Amane was beside her with her arms crossed over her chest and was staring at him with a blank expression on her face.

The kunoichi had hardly spoken to him since they had agreed to help him recover Eizan. He knew they wanted nothing more than to wring his neck, but getting their friend back was more important to them.

'_You __**will**__ die regardless of whether we recover her or not.'_ Those had been Amane's words, and he knew that she intended to fulfill them. Gaara wasn't sure if he'd try to stop her. He wasn't sure about a lot of things lately. All he knew was that he wanted Eizan back.

Gaara had felt something shift inside of him with Naruto's words. He no longer wanted the people of Suna to look at him and only see a monster and fear him. When Eizan returned to his side he wanted her to see that he was changed. He wanted to become Kazekage to surpass the terrifying image that people saw when they looked at him. Also, he wanted that seat of power to rescue Eizan.

Gaara looked at the Suna-nin before him as he pushed all other thoughts to the back of his mind. "We have a mission to Konoha," he told them. He wasn't the Kazekage yet but the girls would follow everything he told them.

Eizan's last order to them had been to protect him, and she had always instructed that they listen to him as they did to her in her stead. It was obvious that they would only obey until she was recovered. Then they intended to break their vows and take his life. Gaara knew this but he still wanted to recover the Ashikaga as soon as possible.

Amane nodded and Gaara turned away to watch his siblings make their way toward him. When he turned back the kunoichi were gone, but he knew they were near as he felt their eyes on him. They were like vultures that were watching and waiting for him to die.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The figure watched as the two Oto-nin brought the girl in. There were several lacerations and wounds over her entire body, which was clad in rags that barely covered her.

Her unconscious body was strapped to the metal table and then left alone. He had been hiding in the shadows since he was instructed to always keep out of sight. However, something had pulled him to this place and to this girl.

His five feet, eight inch frame was slender but well built. The subtle play of muscles was visible at his biceps and a bit of neck, since most of him was covered. His shirt was black and ended halfway up his neck and sleeveless. The rest of his arms were covered by long black gloves that had a thin metal plate over the knuckles. Over the shirt was a gray colored armored vest and he had on black pants and black sandals. It was the attire of an Oto Oinin.

He approached the table as he felt a strange curiosity over come him. The expression on his face, if there was any, was hidden by the white Hunter mask as he stood there for several seconds.

The girl stirred but he didn't move. When her eyes fluttered opened, they flicked immediately in his direction. He saw the fear in them. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse as if she had been screaming. He didn't doubt that she had been by her condition.

The Oinin didn't answer and continued to watch her silently. His master had instructed that if anyone ever saw him then he had to kill them. It didn't matter who it was. He lifted a hand and leaned toward her. She flinched and he paused. It was confusing to realize that he couldn't reach out to hurt her. Instead, his outstretched hand came to rest on her head as she stared up at him in slight awe.

The door opened behind him suddenly and he turned to see that it was one of the men that had brought the girl in. She whimpered in fear as he saw the man and he glanced back at her. Meanwhile, the man had paused at seeing him in the room.

The Hunter didn't hesitate to draw his blade and slaughter the taller male as his blood splattered the hallway and the walls. As he cleaned the katana and sheathed it, he knew that he had killed the man because the girl had been frightened of him, and not because he'd been seen.

When he approached the table she was watching him again but there was no fear anymore. He lifted his hand and she didn't cringe away this time as his gloved fingers came to rest on her bruised face.

His eyes moved over her body and he saw a ghastly looking hole at her right bicep. Also, he noticed that her arm was out of its socket. He placed his hands against it and her eyes widened in fear. A nod was all the warning she got as he quickly set it in place with a sickening snap, and it was quickly followed by a restrained groan from her.

A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye but other than that she was trying to hold back her exclamation of pain. She breathed in deeply for several moments before she could mutter thanks.

Someone else entered the cell then and the girl's eyes turned in their direction. He felt her go stiff with fear and she saw the terror within her oddly colored eyes as they fastened on the figure in the doorway.

"Look at the mess you've made," he heard his master say with a sigh. "Stop letting my subordinates see you, kudasai."

The Hunter only nodded but said nothing to him, and he maintained his position between him and the girl. His master, who was slightly taller than him, noticed this as he chuckled. "A bit fond of my prisoner, aren't you?" he asked, but appeared to be terribly amused by something.

He lingered in the doorway as he crossed his arms over his chest and allowed a wicked grin to spread over his features. "This is Hitori, my dear," he addressed the girl now. "He is my puppet. His mind is enslaved and he will follow my orders even if those orders are to slit his own throat."

The older man turned to walk out, but paused as if he'd just remembered something. "You may be wondering why I'm telling you this. Well, let me show you," he said with a smirk. "Hitori no Tate, remove your mask."

As the Hunter obeyed he left the doorway so the light from the hallway flooded into the room. He was half-way down the corridor when he heard the girl scream, and a cruel laugh parted his lips.

The Oinin still held the mask in his right hand and the other hand was placed on the hysterical girls' face. It was almost like he was trying to comfort her, but she still continued to weep as tears streaked her face. She kept repeating a name, but he didn't know whom she was calling out to.

He could only caress her cheek to try to soothe her sorrow, but he didn't know why he did this. There was a strong need to protect her within him, and right now he knew that it was his face that was upsetting her.

The Oto-nin moved to replace the mask but she pleaded with him to keep it off. He'd only ever obeyed his master, but now he did as she said. Although, he didn't understand why his face had coaxed such a reaction from her.

All he had ever known and remembered was death and darkness, but there was a light coming from her that almost made him think clearly. She was important but he didn't to whom she was important to. Hitori only knew that he had to protect her until he found out.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The blonde Genin felt a relief flood his body when Haku told him the first shred of good news all day. He'd been so scared that Chouji or Neji would die. Since the Exam Neji and he had grown to respect one another's talents and he'd been with Chouji in the Academy and they'd run from Iruka-sensei many times. So, it would have been a devastating blow to lose either boy. However, even if no one had died, they have failed in their mission.

Uzumaki Naruto's feature twisted into a frown and was once again filled with anger and sorrow. A despair so overwhelming filled his heart that he had to bite back a sob. His best friend had left their home village in search of power. Uchiha Sasuke had betrayed Konohagakure no Sato to go to Orochimaru.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**Translations:  
**1. **Dare:** who  
2. **Doko: **where  
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Chapter Twenty-three**_

_That took a lot out of me to write. Please leave comments here, anything (flames too) is welcome, please! Thanks._


	26. Building Darkness

_**Glimpses of Fire**_  
**Author: **shattered-words

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, it'd be called _'Gaara'._ So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?

**Summary:** There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri

**AN:** I can't believe that I finally made it this far! This is an exciting day for me indeed, since I never thought I'd ever finish a fanfic. However, this one was just bugging the hell outta me until I put it down on paper. So, there you have it folks. It will be a while before I start posting Glimpses of Darkness, but I will try to get it up as soon as possible! Until that time comes, I'd like to thank all those that reviewed and showed my fanfic support. To those that only read it and didn't review, shame on you! Authors get motivation when one reviews, and with no reviews, how do I know that anyone is even reading this? Anyway, I'll let ya read the story. Please enjoy since I put a lot of thought into this Epilogue, oh and watch for a lot of time skips in this one (sorry if its confusing, but it shows only the sections that need to be revealed right now! More will be revealed in the sequel.). Thanks to everyone again, and especially Shadows-upon-Sand.

I'd like to thank those that reviewed:  
AuraofaGirl, Gaara1Love, Eddi, Moyiriana, loveable-M, irishindian365, Shadows-upon-Sand, SangoStar, and Miss Kitty-chan! This one is all yours, guys!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"_Darkness, when everything that you know and love is taken from you so harshly.  
__All you can think about is anger, hatred and even revenge and __**no one**__ can save you."_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**Epilogue: Building Darkness**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Uchiha Itachi sighed as he arrived at his house and pushed fusuma sliding door open and stepped inside. His companion, whom had the same hair and eye color but of a darker shade, shook his head and followed the shorter ninja. They left their sandals by the door and followed the commotion they'd heard as they approached.

When they were in view of the garden, it was to see two small figures wrestling and rolling around on the ground. They were yelping as they hit each other and were screaming nonsensical things at one another. It appeared that the small form with long hair was losing by sheer size and strength.

The Sharingan user glanced at his guest. "You grab one and I'll grab the other," he said, noticing the slight frown on his face. He shook his head and they both moved forward quickly.

Itachi had his brother by the scruff of his collar a few moments later and the other held his sister's wiggling body. "What happened this time?" he asked the miniature version of himself. It was slightly amusing to see as he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

Ashikaga Eizan had risked letting the girl go and was crouched in front of her. "What happened, Ari-chan?" he asked her softly. He frowned when he noticed several bruises on her arms and one on her right cheek.

Arisa sniffled and glanced at the younger Uchiha. "Sasu-kun called me a bad name," she whined. "He's mean all day so I hit him and he hit me back."

The taller teen let her smother him in a hug he barely felt as he glanced at the oldest Uchiha. The other shrugged and Eizan sighed. He stood and lifted the smaller girl into his arms. "Maybe its' best if we leave," he said as the Konoha Genin nodded.

Itachi let his brother go and walked the Ashikaga siblings to the door. "Well, at least it'll be over in two days. So, don't expect her tomorrow." Uchiha Sasuke had followed them but didn't show himself as Eizan and Itachi paused at the door so the taller shinobi could slip on his sandals and get Arisa's shoes.

"I thought your parents would be busy tomorrow," Itachi said, his voice as emotionless as before. "What will you do with her while you're training?"

Eizan straightened and adjusted his sister in his arms. "I'll figure something out." He turned with him to the door. "Maybe I'll take her with me."

"Do you think that's wise?" Itachi asked with a slight frown on his younger features.

The Suna-nin shrugged. "Probably not, but its' my only option. I can see that her and Sasuke-san don't get along since they've fought physically five times already." He sighed and fixed Itachi with a pointed look. "Ari-chan is smaller than your brother and I don't want her getting hurt."

The left-nin nodded thoughtfully after his eyes had taken in the bruises and cut's on the younger girl's face and arms. "At least it'll only be for one day and then you'll both be going back to your village."

Sasuke, meanwhile, frowned as he listened to their conversation. He knew that Arisa didn't live in Konoha, but he wasn't sure how far away their home was. He liked Arisa a lot, but he was jealous since Itachi was nice to her.

His older brother was very quiet and never smiled or showed any emotion. However, he always greeted Arisa and Eizan, and today he'd given her the barest hint of a smile and had patted her head. Sasuke had gotten mad and ignored her all day. Then he'd woken cranky from his nap, and gotten even angrier when he found her playing with the ball that Itachi had given him for his last birthday.

"Don't touch that, usuratonkachi!" he yelled, using the word he'd heard one of the adults use when referring to under-trained ninja. She'd been stunned for a moment and then frowned and smacked him on the arm. He'd hit her back harder as she screamed and they eventually wound up wresting on the ground as they bit, hit, and scratched at each other.

"Hai," Eizan's voice snapped Sasuke back to reality. "It's a two day journey back to Suna, so I don't know when we'll meet again." He smirked at Itachi. "Good luck with your match and pray we don't have to face each other."

Itachi let his always stiff mouth lift slightly in a smirk as well. "I don't need luck," he assured. He was one of the youngest applicants, but his genius was painfully obvious. It was a given that he'd be made Chunin.

Eizan turned and slipped outside as he started to walk down the street, waving at the Uchiha. At the door, Itachi turned and fixed his essentially sharp eyes on Sasuke as he peered around the corner. His Aniki always seemed to know he was near.

He motioned for him to come closer and the five-year-old scrambled over and stopped just outside the door. His dark eyes met blood-rimmed orbs over the increasing distance between them.

Arisa had her arms wrapped around Eizan's neck and was peering over his shoulder at Sasuke. He noticed the bruise that had started to appear on her swelling cheek from where he'd first hit her. As he continued to watch, she lifted her hand and waved at him. Then they turned a corner and were gone.

Sasuke's sight blurred and he realized that tears had filled his eyes. He sniffled slightly and hastily wiped his damp cheeks. He felt Itachi move and turned to see his older brother crouched in front of him the same way Eizan had done with Arisa.

"You'll get to say goodbye before she leaves," he reassured with a slight smile as he placed a hand on the top of his head.

The younger Uchiha was stunned by his actions but he could only nod as a blush painted his wet features. He wiped his face again and the brothers entered the house as they heard their mother calling them for dinner.

Unnoticed by them all were a pair of cruel yellow orbs that had watched everything with much interest. He'd been brought here by a flair of montrous chakra that had originated from somewhere in this location almost two weeks ago. During the time he'd arrived, he'd managed to narrow his search.

It could be from the eldest Uchiha or the Suna Genin, but he was led to believe that it was one of the children. That chakra had been wild and untamed, and not from a trained ninja.

He would eventually find the source if he continued to wait and watch. It was only a matter of time and when it came he'd be so much closer to his victory. A cruel smirk twisted his pale lips as he imagined the sight of Konohagakure no Sato in ruins. This child would help him realize that dark dream.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Uchiha Fugaku stuffed his hands into the sleeves of his haori as he stepped out onto the engawa to survey the already darkened garden before him. The lamps at both ends of the corridor gave very little light, but the full moon made up for that.

His youngest son hadn't arrived from the Academy but he was probably training really hard. He had a long way to go to catch up to his older brother. However, that's not the reason he'd come outside. He had been working in his study and he'd felt a distinctive chill pass over him.

He paused and now realized what didn't seem right now that he looked around again. There were no lights on in the nearby houses. Also, there was a deadly silence in the air that he had only ever heard after the end of a battle.

A frown twisted his features as he sensed danger a moment before he jumped away from an attack. The blade cleanly sliced several hairs and would have surely taken his head if he hadn't moved.

The elder Uchiha straightened to face his attacker as he prepared to retaliate and froze in shock. His older son, Itachi, stood in front of him in his blood-splattered ANBU uniform as he held a bloody katana in hand. That hesitation was what his assailant needed.

Fugaku looked up along the blade pointed at his throat after he'd hit the floor. A pair of lifeless, blood red eyes stared mercilessly down at him. It was in that instant that he remembered that his offspring was away on a mission.

'_This isn't Itachi,'_ he thought moments before he felt a blow to the back of his head and darkness took him.

Fugaku felt a bit of consciousness enter his mind and he heard Sasuke's voice. His eyes snapped open immediately and locked on his younger son. He was bound and gagged in a kneeling position and he saw that the younger male was standing just inside the doorway.

"What are you doing to my mother and father?" Sasuke demanded of the person behind them and his voice shook slightly.

The Uchiha felt a hand grip his own and he turned his head to see his beautiful wife tied up next to him. He tried to reassure her with his eyes that everything would be fine, but not even he would have believed himself.

A figure appeared in front of his son and he turned back around as he seized the boy. He fought against the hold of the rope, trying to free himself but found that it was draining him of his chakra.

The person, whom he saw was a man with long black hair, grabbed Sasuke's face and made him look into his eyes. He stiffened and suddenly started to scream a moment later. Something within Fugaku's chest clenched painfully as Mikoto squeezed his hand.

"Onegai, no!" he yelled as he struggled against him. "Dosh'te, Aniki? Why did you kill them all, Itachi?" There were tears running down his face as he screamed this.

The person released the boy and he crumpled to the ground and into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Fugaku shook his head and turned to look at his wife. There were tears running down her face and he felt the sting of his own against his eyes. Sasuke would think and believe the worst. They'd made him see Itachi killing them.

He turned his head as far back as he could to the one that had attacked him as he moved the sword forward and blood splattered his face. There was a numb feeling even as he wept tears for his mate. He saw a brief glimpse of a white mask and then he knew nothing.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

He pushed away from his four subordinates and bit back a cry of pain. His arms were as hard as stone and had turned a sickly gray color. If he hadn't already died then he would swear to make the old man suffer for what he'd done to his arms.

Even incapacitate he could say that he'd be able to defend himself from any foe. Although, he had no idea how he'd fair against one of the other two Sannin or someone at the Oinin level or higher. The only consolation he had was that he already knew how to free himself of this pain. He only hoped that he'd been able to succeed in one part of his plan. The Sandaime may have died but Konoha still stood.

He paused and lessened his labored breathing as he felt a familiar chakra signature approaching, and he lifted his head to observe the horizon. A moment passed before a figure appeared over the hill. He was slender, young, with a shock of gray hair pulled back into a ponytail, and the dying sunlight glinted off his glasses. In his arms he carried a child that looked to be no older than eleven.

A grin spread over his once strained features as the young man came closer with the unconscious body. Despite the white hot agony his arms were inflicting on him he felt a grin spread over his pale face as psychotic laughter escaped from his lips. Those close enough to hear shuddered in terror.

Kabuto merely smirked. Things were starting to fall into place and soon it would get very interesting. When that time came he would be able to let his true self bubble to the surface.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A lone figure watched the village of Konohagakure from a distance and the smoke that rose from it. There were several figures visible below as they battled each other, but his gaze was redirected away from it and toward the woods nearby. He quickly jumped down and into the forest.

He moved like a shadow through the trees and came to stop at the edge of a clearing made by a recent battle. There were two Suna-nin and one leaf shinobi interacting. They might have sensed him if he wasn't a master at manipulating his chakra. He crouched and hung back in the shadows as he watched, but he was too far to hear their conversation.

The Konoha-nin was speaking to the others that had him at kunai point, and yet he remained calm. A moment later the shorter of the sand kunoichi looked down, spoke and the other snatched something from him and disappeared. The other stayed for a few moments longer before leaving as well.

When the boy had limped away he entered the clearing and dropped to one knee. He formed a few seals and his hands glowed blue, and he laid them on the ground. There was a tangible pulse that came to life under his palms and he grimaced at the heat resonating from it.

His figure, which had been obscured by the shadows of the trees, became visible. He stood at five feet and nine inches tall, and might have been slender underneath his black coat that was decorated with crimson clouds. The collar of it came to slightly obscure his features but his eyes were visible, and were completely white all around. He might have been peering north by the inclination of his head.

"It was here," he muttered quietly. The wind picked up and the long strands of his dark blue tinted hair danced around him. A storm of dirt covered the entire area and when it died down he was gone.

Things had been set into motion within the Akatsuki, and soon the jinchuriki nor those they held dear would be safe. There was danger brewing just on the horizon and in the end no one would escape it. For now, however, the world seemed to be at peace. Although, the silence that followed was one heard at the end of a great battle where much blood had been spilled.-

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
_**End Glimpses of Fire.**_

_Please review! Thank you for the last time until Glimpses of Darkness (GoD). Peace._


	27. Profiles of Original Characters

**AN: **Here are the profiles for some of my OC. Sorry Haru's is so short but I didn't want to reveal too much on him just yet. Please, enjoy.  
**PS: **You can look to my ff(dot)net profile for updates and news, thank you.

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.  
****Name:** Ashikaga Eizan  
**Real name:** Ashikaga Arisa  
**Rank:** Genin  
**Blood type/Reg #:** A; 56-002  
**Age/Gender:** 11 years old (almost 12); female  
**Birth place:** Kaze no Kuni, Sunagakure  
**Birthday/Sign: **August 30; Virgo  
**Hair:** ebony, wavy, short in the back and longer bangs to chin  
**Eyes: **obsidian edged w/ crimson and blood red pupils  
**Height/Weight:** 4'8"; 70lbs  
**Personality:** quiet, cold, loyal to Gaara, self-sacrificing,  
self-conscious at times, helps others and thinks herself foolish  
for doing it (has a bit of brother complex)  
**Markings:** 'shi' (Die/Death) tattoed on the nape of neck; 'ai'(love)  
scar over left side of chest, over heart  
**Skills:** mid-level taijutsu, low-level weapons use, high-level chakra  
manipulation, Katon specialist  
**Visible Weapons:** two kunai/shuriken holsters on each thigh, pouch  
on back  
**Hidden Weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire:** chain mail shirt, w/ protective vest above, dark purple  
shirt with long, black fishnet sleeves, black high water pants, and  
black sandals.  
**Best known for:** being responsible for her parents and older brother's  
deaths due to a house fire she caused w/ strange abilities that haven't  
been seen by any outside Suna  
**Family:** Kiyomizu (mother-deceased), Ritsuko (father-deceased), Eizan  
(older half brother-deceased)  
**Sexuality: **Heterosexual  
**Love Interest: **unknown (only Amane and Iwane actually know she's  
in love w/ Sabaku no Gaara**  
Last known location: **outskirts of Konohagakure  
**  
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.  
****  
Name:** Erizawa Iwane  
**Real name:** Erizawa Miwako  
**Rank:** Genin  
**Blood type/Reg #:** O; 56-004  
**Age/Gender:** 12 years old (turns 13 shortly after Chunin Exam); female  
**Birth place: **Kaze no Kuni; Sunagakure  
**Birthday/Sign: **August 19; Leo  
**Hair:** black, straight shoulder length (cuts to jaw before 3rd Chunin exam)  
**Eyes:** emerald, black irises  
**Height/Weight:** 5'"; 80lbs  
**Markings:** scars across wrists, various others from self-inflicted wounds  
and others that aren't, tattoo of 'shi' (Death/Die) on left bicep  
**Personality: **easy-going, cocky, laid-back, can be very annoying when  
she wants to, deadly when in battle, and sadistic when angry  
**Skills:** mid-level taijutsu, low-level weapons use, low-level chakra  
manipulation, Doton specialist  
**Visible Weapons:** kunai/shuriken holsters on left thigh, pouch at  
right hip  
**Hidden Weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire:** short sleeved white shirt w/ only one, black left sleeve;  
black pants w/ hitai-ate tied around right thigh facing away from body  
**Best known for:** rowdy behavior while in the Academy for always  
starting fights w/ boys  
**Family:** Aizawa Machiko (mother); Atsushi (father); Ryohei, Naoki,  
Keiichi (older brother, older sister, younger brother)  
**Sexuality: **Bi-sexual  
**Love Interest: **unknown (only her mother knows she's in love w/ Amane)**  
Last known location:** Sunagakure

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Name: **Itagaki Amane  
**Real name: **Itagaki Akemi  
**Rank: **Genin  
**Blood type/Reg #:** AB; 56-003  
**Age/Gender:** 12 years old (turns 13 after Chunin Exam); female  
**Birth place:** Kaze no Kuni; Sunagakure  
**Birthday/Sign: **November 25; Sagittarius  
**Hair:** dark brown, straight to waist (cut to shoulder while in Forest  
of Death)  
**Eyes:** black  
**Height/Weight:** 5'2; 82lbs  
**Markings: **jagged scar under right side of ribcage, tattoo of 'shi'  
(death/die) on right bicep  
**Personality: **serious, quiet, stoic but seems sad at times, can be very  
stubborn, loyal to Eizan and Iwane  
**Skills:** high-level taijutsu, low-level weapons use, mid-level chakra  
manipulation, Fuuton specialist  
**Visible Weapons: **kunai/shuriken holsters on right thigh, weapons  
pouch on left hip  
**Hidden Weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire: **hitai-ate around forehead, short sleeved wire mesh shirt  
beneath a sleeveless black shirt, gray pants with the left knee bandaged,  
black sandals  
**Best known for:** superb hearing and analytical skills  
**Family:** Akamatsu Ai (mother), Katsuhiko (father), Motoki (older  
brother), Satoshi and Satori (uncles)  
**Sexuality: **Heterosexual  
**Love Interest: **Oohira Akuro**  
Last known location: **Sunagakure

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Name:** Kazuyoshi Enoki  
**Rank:** Jonin  
**Blood type/Reg #:** AB; 40-072  
**Age/Gender:** 32 years old; male  
**Birth place:** Kaze no Kuni, Sunagakure  
**Birthday/Sign:** April 1; Aries**  
Hair:** reddish brown hair, almost shoulder length, straight  
**Eyes: **dark brown  
**Height/Weight:** 5'8"; 133lbs  
**Personality:** quiet, use to be cold and mean toward students,  
started to care for girls by end of life, has a hidden agenda that  
explains his hate toward Arisa  
**Markings:** ANBU tattoo on right bicep  
**Skills:** mid-level taijutsu, high-level weapons use, mid-level chakra  
manipulation, mid-level Doton and low-level Fuuton specialist  
**Visible Weapons:** two kunai/shuriken holsters on left thigh,  
pouch on back, katana on back  
**Hidden Weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire:** black shirt that goes to elbows, black pants,  
hitai-ate around right upper arm, black sandals  
**Best known for:** already had previous Genin team before the  
three kunoichi  
**Family:** unknown  
**Sexuality: **unknown  
**Love Interest: **unknown**  
Last known location: **Deceased

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Name: **Ashikaga Eizan  
**Rank:** Chunin  
**Blood type/Reg #:** A; 50-002  
**Age/Gender:** 13 years old; male  
**Birth place:** Kaze no Kuni; Sunagakure  
**Hair:** black, straight almost shoulder length  
**Eyes:** gray, lightly darker irises  
**Height/Weight:** 5'2"; 103  
**Markings:** thin horizontal scar across right cheek  
**Personality:** easy going, competitive, tough when training younger  
sister, yet affectionate and over protective  
**Skills:** high-level taijutsu, mid-level weapons use, low-level chakra  
manipulation, Fuuton specialist, some Doton  
**Visible Weapons:** kunai/shuriken holsters on left thigh, weapons  
pouch at back  
**Hidden Weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire:** white short sleeved shirt, black high water pants,  
hitai-ate on head but twisted to left side, black sandals  
**Best known for:** very good memory, learning Kaze no Yaiba  
at a very young age  
**Family:** Kiyomizu (mother-deceased), Ritsuko (father-deceased),  
Arisa (younger half-sister)  
**Sexuality: **unknown  
**Love Interest: **unknown**  
Last known location: **Deceased

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Name: **current Harukaze  
**Real name: **unknown  
**Rank: **Oinin  
**Blood type/Reg #: **n/a  
**Age/Gender: **unknown; male  
**Birth place:** Kaze no Kuni; Sunagakure  
**Birthday/Sign:** n/a**  
Hair: **short, spiky brown hair  
**Eyes: **unknown  
**Height/Weight: **5'9; n/a  
**Personality: **calm, quick-witted individual  
**Markings: **Hunter emblem on nape of neck  
**Skills:** high level taijutsu, high level weapons use, high level Fuuton  
and Doton jutsu  
**Visible weapons:** kunai/shuriken holsters, katana on back  
**Hidden weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire: **white mask, black long sleeved shirt, short black  
gloves w/ metal plate over knuckles, beige armored vest w/ hidden  
compartments for weapons storage, black pants w/ beige armored  
shin guards  
**Best known for:** creation of one of the most destructive wind jutsu  
in existence  
**Family:** unknown  
**Sexuality: **unknown  
**Love Interest: **unknown**  
Status/Location: **Sunagakure

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Name: **Hideaki Anzai  
**Rank: **Genin  
**Blood type/Reg #: **B; 012590  
**Age/Gender: **13 years old; male  
**Birth place:** Hi no Kuni; Konohagakure  
**Birthday/Sign:** May 1; Taurus**  
Hair: **jaw length dark brown, w/natural blonde highlights and tips  
**Eyes: **cobalt  
**Height/Weight: **5'2; 102lbs  
**Personality: **loud, arrogant, impulsive but has his smart moments  
**Markings: **none visible  
**Skills:** mid-level taijutsu, high-level weapons use, mid-level chakra  
manipulation, Suiton user  
**Visible weapons:** kunai/shuriken holsters on right thigh, tantou  
on left hip, weapons pouch at back  
**Hidden weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire: **blood red short sleeved shirt, black pants, hitai-ate  
at forehead, blue sandals  
**Best known for:** manipulation of weapons through chakra strings,  
w/ enough practice he could control anything near him  
**Family:** Akiko (mother), father (name unknown until now), Sanako  
(twin sister), Masahiro (older brother-deceased)  
**Sexuality: **Homosexual  
**Love Interest: **use to be Hyuuga Neji**  
Status/Location: **Konohagakure

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Name: **Hideaki Sanako  
**Rank: **Genin  
**Blood type/Reg #: **B; 012589  
**Age/Gender: **13 years old; female  
**Birth place:** Hi no Kuni; Konohagakure  
**Birthday/Sign:** May 1; Taurus**  
Hair: **shoulder length dark brown hair, natural highlights  
**Eyes: **amethyst  
**Height/Weight: **5'; 92lbs  
**Personality: **smart, short tempered where her brother is concerned  
**Markings: **none visible  
**Skills:** low-level taijutsu, mid-level weapons use, high-level chakra  
manipulation, some Fuuton jutsu  
**Visible weapons:** kunai/shuriken holsters, weapons pouch  
**Hidden weapons:** unknown  
**Armor/attire: **attire and hitai-ate position changes frequently,  
no protective armor has been seen yet  
**Best known for:** iryou-nin abilities  
**Family:** Akiko (mother), father (name unknown until now), Anzai (twin  
brother), Masahiro (older brother-deceased)  
**Sexuality: **Heterosexual  
**Love Interest: **Akimichi Chouji**  
Status/Location: **Konohagakure  
**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

Hope you enjoy this small insight into my OC. Hopefully, the sequel will continue to natural flow and I can get it out soon. So, wish me luck and lots of cerel XD hehe, ja ne for now and God Bless.

-**shattered-words**


	28. Author's Note: IMPORTANT!

**Author's Note:**

Hey! Well, I don't think I ever properly introduced myself when I started writing Glimpses of Fire. I'm shattered-words here. Now, any that were actually interested in seeing when I will post Glimpses of Darkness should have bugged me! I loved being bugged by reviews or emails dealing with that kind of thing! NOW, DON'T STOP READING THIS! Seriously, this is to tell those that are monitoring GoF that I will post Glimpses of Darkness in a week's time from Friday, Nov. 09, 2007. So, a whole week and a day after this is posted it will disappear and then the prologue will appear for the sequel. So please do NOT review this because it's not a chapter! Review the other chapters or send me an email to remi(underscore)of(underscore)ryem(at)hotmail(dot)com but do NOT review this Author's note.

Now, here are some of the people that need a shout out, which will also be included in the last chapter of GoF (which is the OC profiles) since this will be removed when GoD goes up.

_-AuraofaGirl:_ I believe you were my first reviewer (I'm sorry, it's been so long . lol) Thanks for that.  
-_Gaara1Love:_ Thanks so much for the several reviews that you sent. They were short but to the point, telling me to update, hehe but they helped me, really! n.n  
-_Eddi:_ Yours were also short but they also helped me, so thank you.  
_-Chinchilla Ninja Leah:_ Thanks! Knowing that you find my story is addicting to you really helped my self-esteem when I received that first review and those that followed.  
_-Moyiriana:_ I'm so glad that you liked the whole Gaara/Arisa (aka, Eizan) pairing! It made me grin that you were disappointed with the lack of focus on their pairing, but check out Life Drabbles: Lifetime of Sorrow (chapter 5 I believe) and you'll be pleased hehe. Thanks!  
_-loveable-M:_ I have no idea how I got so little reviews heh but I hope that it gets popular soon. I try hard to write good chapters so people aren't turned away just cause there are OC in the story, lol  
_-ninjadruid13(formally irishindian I believe):_ Thank you for being so energetic in your reviews, they made me grin, burst out laughing and blush at times. And please, stop mentioning bodily functions! XD Thanks for all the reviews  
_-Shadows-upon-Sand:_ oh wow, you rock so much! Thanks for reviewing where no one else did in Life Drabbles (except for like two others)! Also, for all the help you've given me while writing Glimpses of Darkness. Without you, I don't know what I'd do! T.T Thanks!  
_-SangoStar:_ I always stop whatever I'm doing and read my reviews when I get them, so I know what you mean! (I do the same for fanfics I really like too) Thanks so much for reviewing cause I really appreciate it.  
_-Miss kitty-chan:_ It's too bad you didn't leave an email address so I could reply to your email, but thanks for the review it made my day at the time! D Please leave an email next time, just remember to put the spaces in between so it'll show up n.n  
_-Kaori:_ I like that name and I was going to use it for later on for one of my characters, might still do it. Thanks for the review. Sorry the epilogue was confusing but I thought that the events would make it clear who they were, heh and those whose identities aren't supposed to be revealed yet had to stay that way, anonymous, heh like your review. Leave an email address so I can reply next time. Thanks again.

Thanks to Shadows-upon-Sand, SangoStar and Eddi who reviewed Life Drabbles.

-Yes yes, Dina we all know now that you are in love with Harukaze and I'm in love with the devil XD And I did NOT misspell strength, that was my bf who wrote in the quote! XD rofl  
-Yes Sango, unfortunately Akuro is dead and it was hard for me to kill that cheeky bastard but it had to be done to progress the story further.  
-Eddi, waiting is a pain but the wait will soon be over! And it wasn't necessarily a chapter of GoD, but kinda a side chapter of Gaara's point of view on certain events in Glimpses of Fire.

Thanks to the following people:

For adding Glimpses of Fire to the story alert list:

1. 1010'jin  
2. Moyiriana  
3. SangoStar  
4. Seika-Akuma  
5. Shadows-upon-Sand  
6. Silver Magiccraft

For adding Glimpses of Fire to the favorites list:

1. Chinchilla Ninja Leah  
2. Frankie Elric  
3. Gaara1Love  
4. Moyiriana  
5. SangoStar  
6. Shadows-upon-Sand  
7. Earth Valkyrie  
8. ninjadruid13  
9. Grammatical Error (aka: Which)

For adding me my name on their favorites list (although some of them were from my other stories, but still):

1. KristaHopes  
2. leelai  
3. Moyiriana  
4. ninjadruid13  
5. Usagi Yuy  
6. ZodiacKitten

For adding my name on the Author alert:

1. God's Warrior  
2. kamikazeDoll  
3. KristaHopes  
4. Lady-Slytherin-Snape  
5. SangoStar  
6. Shadows-upon-Sand  
7. Silly Smiles  
8. silvery-white-blue-eye-kitsune  
9. Usagi Yuy  
10. water-phoenix5

Also, thanks to Silver Magiccraft for adding Caught in the Rain to story alert, but unfortunately that is only a oneshot, sorry. You're also on Life Drabbles story alert, thanks as well.

And special thanks goes to lackofname (LON) for her help in betaing the prologue for Glimpses of Fire and being the only one to ever review Momentos en la Oscuridad (Which means: Moments in the Darkness in Spanish if anyone was wondering) I might add more characters to that later, but still unsure. (If I do there will be no pattern or order, btw)

Well, that's all I have to say. Drop me a line for any questions. Thanks for reading and hope to see your review when I post up the Prologue of Glimpses of Darkness. Ja ne!

-**shattered-words**


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